Sling It! 
Memorial Day, formerly known as Decoration Day, is always a time-honored celebration. Your neighbors are breaking out the grill. Our National Flag is being displayed proudly along the business streets and residential homes. And we get to see all those cute little girls in pigtails running around with those adorable little boys in the parks across America eating up hotdogs and gobbling up chips. It’s the perfect American picture celebrated on the last Monday each May.
And it is Awesome!
I have to ask you something. Are we celebrating Memorial Day? Or are we simply celebrating on a day that happens to fall on a national recognized holiday? For so many people, this day isn’t a celebration but more of a painful reminder. A reminder of someone they loved. And the painful reminder of the person they lost. If you ever have a chance, pass by a National Cemetery on this day or your local cemetery. You will see grieving widows, crying mothers, pain stricken siblings, and fathers with heavy cases of allergy induced moments. If you have the honor of getting to talk to any of these individuals you will witness them beam with pride when they talk about their family member who enlisted and how they served our country to help make it what it is today.
Take some time out of your picnics, BBQ’s, and social gatherings to share with your kids facts about WWI, WW2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, or any war we have been a part of and how it has shaped our nation and the daily freedoms we enjoy because of those great men and women. And while you are giving your “Thank you for your service” handouts, remember to thank the parents and significant others for their family members that didn’t make it home for their service and contributions. They have a harder and more painful understanding of what this national recognized holiday really signifies.
Have A Great Memorial Day!
Bring It!