I attended two Memorial Day services, one arranged by the Southwest Kiwanis Club who some years back constructed a memorial with plaques and with a platform that anchors a large flag. This memorial is located about 200 feet inside the main entrance to Glen Oak Park. The other service was at the newly landscaped entrance to Springdale Cemetery. The leadership and volunteers at Springdale have rejuvenated this cemetery to honor our dead that demonstrates our pride in community involvement and cooperation. Some interred here, departed in peace and some in sickness or violence; some early, some late or in the middle of the life we still enjoy. Each is worthy of memory for the person they were and the effect they had in the lives of others.
Both services honored our dead and wounded and those still serving in armed forces. Each service group was small; 30 to 35 people as most people just celebrate this day as a holiday. Also, there were many services in many locations and at different times. Unfortunate perhaps, but we are a free country to spend our time as we see fit and many took this honorary day as just another vacation day. I’ve done the same thing too many times in the past but plan to celebrate this day as it was originally meant to be celebrated for the remainder of my life.
Freedom gained by the sacrifice of all who participated in the freedom process has given us not only Memorial Day but every day allows us to be free to participate in acts that will continue to help this country to remain the most envied democracy in the world. We must make the most of what has been given us by others sometimes with terminal sacrifice and give back in ways that benefit our country, not just ourselves.
Many will remember our dead and wounded every day of their lives. As we get older, we miss the dead more and as we get older, we tend not to be so caught up in ourselves that we do have time to honor the ones who have allowed us to grow old. We also grow older and freer because of the laws that are fair to all who obey these laws that keep us respected as the world’s greatest democracy. Those who served and lost so much can never be forgotten. Those dead may never know how they sacrificed and were sacrificed for the living. Those crippled and maimed in so many ways must be shown the respect and given the assistance they need to lead a live worthy of the living.
For those of us still living in the freedom attained for us by ourselves and others, we must remind ourselves to be ever vigilant of the creeping apathy and crudeness exhibited by many of our youth. We need to give more guidance to especially the ones who with the urging of their false friends and those in college under the influence of ultra liberal and socialist professors attempt to tear down what it took so many so long to build. These youths starting to experience the freedom allowed in the adult world sometimes attempt to bring this country down to their level of half educated ignorance of this world new to them.
Be wary of demagogues seeking reparation for long past injustices and wary of newcomers who violate our laws and refuse to learn to speak the language most widely used in this country since it’s founding. Be wary of those who preach peace regardless of its cost to us in our freedoms. This country and other countries have many false prophets; many of them well meaning but many attempting to mislead such as the Al Qaeda and the Taliban just to name a couple. And some business leaders, some in religious leadership roles, some in the teaching profession, some union bosses and some elected officials or people in other roles of leadership where their main efforts may be to satisfy their personal egos under the guise of “I know what is best for you”.
If you didn’t attend any services honoring our armed services, please say thank you to everyone you know who served regardless of their accomplishments or the capacity in which they served. Or to their families who worry and pray for their safety and safe return. It always has been and always will be a joint effort of so many that have given us the right of free speech, the right to worship as we please, to travel where we want, to do the work we do and an opportunity to enjoy health, happiness and safety.
We can write what we feel (within reason) and put it on the internet where anyone across the world may read it if they wish. And better yet, others can comment and it appears below whatever we write. Isn’t this a great world and time we live in despite the chaotic ways of some countries and people and despite all the failures we make to just get along? We start with our families, friends, neighbors and our fellow men and women and participate in the process no matter how many roadblocks or excuses our minds may make for us. Reach out for others that act like they don’t need help but often are silently or violently
crying out for the need of someone to understand the problems most of us are confronted with every day.
To be free and enjoy freedom is not easy. Freedom comes with work, tolerance and sacrifice. But it also comes with standing up for your rights and with well thought out dialogue and discourse.
Memorial Day should be a time to look back and reflect and move forward tomorrow in a more positive way. That is the wish left for you by those already departed from this earth. We are the living so it is our job to make changes for what we perceive to the betterment of society. But remember that perception is often times not reality but at least it’s a start of the process of learning and reviewing and double checking to gain the best outcomes for yourself and those around you.
I believe this is what Memorial Day is all about even if you did catch the biggest fish of your life or made a hole in one.
Thanks for reading this.
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