My husband is on a motorcycle trip in D.C. this weekend and my daughter is working her Life Guard job, so it is just me and the animals this weekend. I started feeling sorry for myself until I saw a veteran from our local VFW putting up rows of flags for the weekend.
I started thinking about all the people who have died so we can hang those flags, speak our minds and vote. I thought about my grandmother surviving World War 2 and making a life in America. I thought about my husband's career in the military. I thought about his deformed left hand, blown apart by a bullet. I thought about him bleeding all over foreign soil when his left hip was ripped open by a sniper. And still he serves his country.
Why? Not because he loves war or supports the politics of the country. He does it because he loves America. He does it because he knows there are days when our country needs protecting, needs soldiers, needs help. He does what a lot of people won't.
So how can I feel sorry for myself this weekend? How can I have a pity party when people have died to earn a weekend just for them? How can I feel sorry for myself when my fellow Americans are dieing in Iraq? The answer is I can't and won't.
Please... this weekend when you are at your barbecues and picnics, while you are playing horse shoes and drinking beer... take a minute to remember why you have this weekend to play and be free. This is not about politics or war this is about our fellow Americans. Remember the Soldiers, Sailors and Marines who gave us and their country everything.
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Comments: 54
dm... you need to write an article about that... you brought a tear to my eye.
Memorial Day - Picnic or Patriotism?
Memorial Day is Tuesday the 30th (always the 30th) of May.
Otherwise - nicely done.
You are inspiring :)
I have 3 calendars and they all say Monday... hmmmmm.
"In our little school here at Wellston, where I used to teach, the children have 6 years of wonderful learning on the importance of Memorial Day. On the Friday before Memorial Day they have Granparents' Day with a big picnic on the grounds. After the eats, the children and their guests gather around the flag pole, where there is a ceremony that includes the flag raising, usually a couple of patriotic songs, a class doing a choral reading that includes "In Flanders Field", and a couple of other classes doing something they have prepared about the meaning of Memorial Day. Then everyone gets a flower, the whole crowd falls silent, and all file over to the cemetary which happens to be next to the school playground, and each person lays their flowers on a grave. Taps is played by two high school students, and the ceremony ends and the children and grandparents go back to the classes, or are even excused for the day. It's a very solemn day and even the kindergartners join in on the meaning of this day. The ceremony still continues, but it was started by a principal who envisioned the importance of instilling respect for our country and patriotism in these youngster. He was a gem in my book."
Great article
Carol, that should be required in EVERY school. Thanks for sharing that with me ;-)
Thanks for this beautiful reminder that even freedom can be taken for granted. Thank you husband for me also...
It's easy to feel sorry for yourself when in reality many of us are pretty lucky. I love that you got yourself out of that mood on your own, more people need to do that!
This holiday we all need to remember it's not all about partying, you can hate the war but love the soldiers.
My grandma lived in 7 countries over her life time,,, she died in 2002.
yes that is my house.. it is 80 years old and needs a lot of work, but I love it.
I have to share this. When we found out my son was going to be deployed, I took a job. I couldn't stand to thing of being home all the time with so much emptiness with him gone. So, this weekend, I have to work the entire weekend. Here's the thing: I checked my schedule on Thursday morning. I was off this Monday, and I planned to take my son's place beside his father at the Memorial Day Ceremonies at Jefferson Barracks Cemetary. I went in today and I am scheduled to work Monday from 8 am to 4 pm. There is nothing I can do about it. The "full time" woman that usually works Mondays decided on Friday that she would take the day off. I was out sick for 6 weeks with my gall bladder and I can't really say anything about it at the moment as all my sick time and vacation time are used up. Before I say what's pissing me off, I would like to say that I will work, and that I understand that there is a "fairness" factor involved here.
I am pissed because I am the only one in the whole store that had actually Memorial Day related plans going on. I am the only one in the store with a loved one serving in Iraq at the moment. If I'd been told about this a week or two ago, when the schedule was first made, I'd be okay with it, but I find the notice a little short, and also kind of selfish. The woman says that she didn't "realize" that it was Memorial Day on Monday until she woke up Friday morning and saw the posted signs on our doors about our opened hours. She gets paid whether she works or not and has the option of not working, so she took it...I'm just saying the timing is a little short and I did have plans I made based on the initial scheduling.
Sorry to whine...I'm thrilled that someone else out there is remembering what the holiday is really about, and has memorialized it in a positive way.
thank you again Mandy.
What upset me was I had put the flag up when my son-in-law and neice were ships were sent to the Gulf. My son-in-law was home, but my neice still was there. It was symbolic to me so I stalled but ended up taking it down before she returned.
The joys of living in a community.
thanks Anita!
without them we wouldn't be here safe and comfortable like this
Lloyd
Carol, what that school does is wonderful! All should do it!
Allen, I'm appalled by the huge number of people who think the meaning of our most important patriotic holidys is to have a barbeque!
My husband was a Viet Nam era vet, but he did not die in the service. I went to visit his grave on Monday and took two bouquets, one for hm, and the other to lay on the grave of a veteran whom nobody had visited.
By next year, I hope to have completed the huge adoption paper chase and have my two Ukrainian orphans home with me here. I will take them to honor a US vet's grave, and I think I must also remind them to remember the Ukrainians who died in their wars. We were on the same side in WW II, and many Ukrainians died then.