In Loving Memory

pasja1000 via Pixabay

I've gone back and forth with myself about whether or not to post today. I often take Monday holidays off, partly because a regular post on a significant day doesn't seem to be the right fit and partly because a day off is pretty nice.

I'm lucky. I'm one of those who can stand at a distance today, grateful for the sacrifices other mothers' children and other people's parents and grandparents have made. My grandfather flew planes in WWII, but that is all I know. It was long before I knew him and though I am grateful for his service, its personal impact on me was minimal. In some ways, that should make me more grateful but, instead, it leaves me personalizing this day in a different way.

Memorial Day should be more than just a day off from work and, for many families it is just that -- a deeply meaningful day to remember and pay tribute to those they've loved who made personal sacrifices so we could enjoy the freedoms we have. But, for others, it's just another Monday and trying to twist it into something else feels anywhere from uncomfortable to inauthentic.

So, I propose that today, we take a moment to do what this day is intended for -- to think about the freedoms we have thanks to the sacrifices so many have so bravely made. If a moment is all we can offer with honesty and integrity, perhaps we can then explore a few more questions before heading off to barbecue our dinners or set off fireworks or even hang a flag.

• Who? Whom will I remember today? Why?
• What? What will I remember this person for? Why today?
• When? When will I take the time to do this? For how long?
• Where? Where will I engage in this memorializing? Why this place?
• How? How will I remember this person, these people, this event? What will best pay them tribute?

In light of all the challenges our country is facing right now, it's more important than ever that today be significant because, whether we've been touched by a family member's sacrifice directly or not, taking the time to say thank you is a debt we all owe to those we memorialize today, for whatever reason.