“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the Veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation.”
~George Washington
Today is Memorial Day. Most of us are enjoying a day off from work. We’re hunting down sales at the mall. We’re grilling hot dogs and hamburgers. We’re sitting by the pools that are finally open. We’re celebrating the unofficial kick-off of summertime.
But I hope that somewhere in the middle of all that fun, you take a moment to reflect on the true meaning of Memorial Day. It is a day of remembrance for those brave men and women who have died serving our nation, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. Want to do something to commemorate Memorial Day? The National Moment of Remembrance is at 3 PM (local time). Wherever you are at 3 P.M. today, whether you’re finding a great deal on sandals or eating a hot dog while watching your kids splash at the pool, pause for a moment to remember what this day is about.
Looking for more ways to observe Memorial Day? Find out what kind of events and activities are being organized in your local community. Participate in nationwide movements like Wear Blue: Run to Remember. Read articles like this post at the New York Times blog At War and this one at Military OneSource Blog Brigade. And watch videos like this one at Military.com
and this one at NRA Life of Duty.
(For more ideas, check out the top 10 list I put together last year.)
On this Memorial Day I’m thinking about the men and women who sacrificed their lives for our freedom and the families left behind whose sacrifices will never be forgotten.
What are your plans on this special day?
This is such a wonderful post! I am in total agreement with you that while fun is important, we should also take a moment to remember why this day is important, too. I also really appreciated the links you provided. My husband is joining the Navy and I just began my own blog to chronicle our adventures. I am trying to immerse myself in the world of Millies. You have a beatiful, thoughtful blog, and you can count me as a new follower! 🙂
Kourtney – mysailortome.blogspot.com
Love this post! We had a great weekend – visited Punchbowl (The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific), and went to a Buddhist Lantern Floating. Both experiences were very moving – great reminders of all we have to be grateful for!
Love the cartoon! 🙂
Didn't know about the moment of silence, but I did it in my own way. Looking at the Olympic mountains makes me speechless, which was a great time to reflect on why we have this holiday and what it means.