Today is set aside as a holiday. One to remember those who have given their lives in service to this nation's military throughout the centuries, to honor what they sacrificed and remind ourselves as a country the price which continues to be paid daily for the freedoms and luxuries we have.
A great many people will view it as just another excuse for a three day weekend, to have a party, sleep late, or catch up on chores.
Others will take a moment to reflect upon these sacrifices, and will take part in a parade, or say thank you to a veteran, or any of a hundred other things.
As for myself - every day tends to be Memorial Day. The random thoughts and memories of friends who have passed on, or sharing a story when I spend time with someone we both knew. A quiet reflection as I consider how lucky I am to have made it through my experiences relatively intact; the reminders of those who weren't so fortunate, and of the loved ones they left behind. Wives and husbands, sons and daughters, parents and friends, all denied the chance to be with that special person ever again.
As a nation we have problems and disagreements. But we also live in an amazing time, with freedoms and opportunities the majority of the world can only dream of. Every one of these is owed to the men and women who throughout the years have given of their own lives to build what we have today.
I miss my friends - this weekend reminds me of that more than most. But I am reminded on this beautiful morning that life goes on, and that we honor their memory best by using the days we have been provided to build the world they dreamed of. With the laughter and smiles of my children, the sun rising over my home, and the future ahead, I am blessed by those who have passed before me.
"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13
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