Remembering the Fallen

What does Memorial Day mean to you?  Is it a time you spend with family… do you spend the day on the lake… spend the extra time off to finish projects at the house… or do you just take it easy and relax?  Do you remember the history and why we have this holiday?  I didn’t remember much about the day from my history classes, so I had to do a little research to find out what the holiday - Memorial Day was set aside to be.

Did you know that Memorial Day was originally observed to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil War?  After World War I, it became a day to remember all of the fallen men and women who serve and give their all for our freedom.  Even though the tradition of remembrance started in several cities in the US in the 1860s, it was not a National Holiday until 1971.  Different movements or traditions have been popular to celebrate this day over the years, but the main theme of taking the time to remember all the heroes that have been willing to serve and lay down their lives for our freedom has remained the same.  “Thank you” or “We are sorry for your loss of a loved one” does not seem to be enough when you think of individuals that are willing to lay down their lives and for the families of the fallen, but no other words seem to encompass what is truly in our hearts.  Here is a poem written in 1915 by Moina Michael as tribute to all the fallen in response to the poem ‘In Flanders Field’.

Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet - to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.

We cherish, too, the poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.

And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.

As I sit here and plan what I am going to do for Memorial Day weekend, I can’t stop thinking about how much the military families give up for all of us to have this freedom.  We seem to have forgotten the history of Memorial Day and use it to plan something fun for the family.  I am guilty of not remembering and treating this day with the respect it deserves.  So as you start the 3 day weekend, hopefully we can all plan to spend a moment to remember what this day was set aside to be.  Although they need our prayers daily, let’s all try to remember to say an extra prayer for the men and women that are willing to lay down their lives for us on Monday.  

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Memorial Day weekend and to all the military men and women I say THANK YOU for all you do!