Photo Source: Beverly on Flickr
I wish Memorial Day came at a different time of year.
Not because I don’t want to celebrate it.
I do.
Not because it isn’t a significant day on the calendar.
It is.
Not because I don’t love my country and the freedoms I have here.
I do.
I wish Memorial Day came at a different time of year so it could receive more of the recognition it deserves.
The end of May is the most exhausting time in the lives of parents, educators, and students. Whether you homeschool or teach in a public/private setting, you are dragging kids through the final part of the year’s curriculum and lesson plans.
Students are studying for their end of year tests and exams. They are turning in papers and just trying to make it to the end of the year.
And then, along comes Memorial Day, observed every year on the last Monday of May.
People here in the U.S. get excited because it is a nationally recognized holiday, and parents, caregivers, and students are off from work and school.
The men clean their grills in preparation for the cook-out.
Mommas are talking about what side dishes they plan to bring.
Kids are thankful they get to sleep in.
Everyone hopes the weatherman is wrong, and it won’t rain.
And, of course, there is nothing wrong with all the festivities.
Nothing at all.
We SHOULD celebrate the blessing of our hard-earned freedom.
Most specifically, we should recognize WHY we have that freedom.
On May 30, 1868, after the American Civil War, Union General John A. Logan declared the first Decoration Day, an occasion to decorate the graves of Civil War soldiers.
Two decades later, the name changed to Memorial Day.
In 1971, President Richard Nixon officially declared Memorial Day a federal holiday; a day to honor the men and women who died in military service for the United States.
In December 2000, the President signed into law The National Moment of Remembrance Act, which encourages all Americans to pause – wherever they are – at 3 pm local time for a moment of silence.
To stop and consider those who died in service to the nation.
To stop and be grateful to those families who offered the greatest sacrifice to us all through the death of their grandparents, spouses, parents and children.
To thank those in service now, recognizing they are making the same commitment – to stand in the gap for you, for me, for all of us.
It’s overwhelming, and I cry when I think about it.
But I know they didn’t fight so we’d weep. They fought for freedom.
So, of course we should celebrate!
We are having a bunch of friends and family over to grill and sit out by the lake.
The kids will swim, kayak, boat and join the men fishing.
The women will run after the kids, ignore the dirty feet and stinky bodies, spray sunscreen on every underaged limb within reach, and talk until all the words are spent.
We’ll watch the sun go down and then, people will slowly pack up, head home, clean up, and tuck everyone in tight.
And we can do that because many chose to fight, and many of them died.
Photo Source: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Eric R. Dietrich [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Remember.
Honor.
Some of them are still fighting.
So, pray too.
Heather Sanders helps moms pursue their passions and earn an income while staying home with their kids. If you want to raise your children while contributing to your family financially and following your dreams, subscribe to her blog now.