Credit Where Due

I thought I knew what Memorial Day was all about. But when I hear people say they visit their grandparents’ graves or other family members on this day, I become a little puzzled. At first, I naturally assume their family members died in combat in some long-ago war. But then I started realizing that the origin and reason for Memorial Day has become very obscure and ambiguous and people have lost sight of why we honor it at all.

And it got me thinking about my Grandpa. My Grandpa served in the navy during World War 2. But if you try to celebrate him in any way on Veteran’s Day, he will flatly tell you that he is not a veteran and should not be given any praise. This is because he was never actually deployed during the war and never fought for our freedoms. I admire him for his candor. He gives credit where credit is due. And by so doing, he respects those American veterans who did engage in battle and have endured the tragedies of war.

I think about what he would do if we were to reverence his grave on Memorial Day.

He would turn over. That’s what!

I think the reason Memorial Day has become so enigmatic is because many of us have families so fortunate as to have never lost a loved one while in military duty. I know I feel extremely fortunate to be one of those families.

And so on this Memorial Day, I give honor to all of those family’s who have suffered such a loss. Because they have kept mine safe from it.

And that sacrifice is most certainly worth Memorializing.

Thank You!