When one of my granddaughters was around two years old, she started asking everyone, “Happy???” Then, one day when she was misbehaving, she ran directly to her mom and asked, “Happy???” You can guess her mom’s response!
This was brought to mind as we draw near to Memorial Day the end of the month. Americans are so into cliches and quick sayings that we automatically put Happy with Memorial Day, but is it? Most of us have loved ones who have passed away and remembering them can be bittersweet. And, how happy can it be for one who stormed the beaches at Normandy, another who suffered through the jungles of Viet Nam, others in Korea or Desert Storm or…? How about having a twenty-two year old buddy with a wife and infant daughter who never made it home? To this day you wonder what happened to them. What about the one who came home with no legs or still endures PTSD? Viet Nam vets to this day greet one another with “Welcome Home” because nobody else did at the time.
We have recently tasted what it’s like to lose an element of our freedom – and that meant no work or money to cover the bills for some; for others it simply meant no shopping, lunch out or toilet paper. “Freedom isn’t free”, as we often say. But, how many of us truly know what that means?
I am reminded of a line from the movie “My Cousin Vinney”. At the end, he was asked. “Why can’t you just say ‘Thank you’?”
Now, that’s worth pondering…
Love this!
My wife and I have a tradition of going to the cemetery Memorial Day weekend in honor of the veterans of wars going back to WWI. In Wisconsin where we are from veterans go back to the Civil War. It is a time to remember the sacrifice of many for the freedom of all.
THANK YOU!!
Thank you! I’m reminded that “the Rabbi” reminds us that there are 4 ways to remember: 1. as we “think” about the matter 2. as we “talk” about it 3. as we memorialize it by celebration or other activity 4. when we refuse to FORGET! I’m thankful to be reminded to give honor to our vets in memorial on Memorial Day!
We must never forget.
Hmm………..
Thanks for the much needed reminder of what this day represents. Freedom is costly.
Just before Memorial Day my neighbor put up a flag pole with a big flag on it and placed it just behind my backyard fence (this was her backyard). I thought that was an odd place to put a flag but this is what happened. At 5am every morning I put on my coffee, open the back door and walk my dog outside. The first thing I saw was this huge flag waving in the wind. I found myself with my hand on my heart saying the pledge of allegiance with tears running down my eyes. I was alone but I felt like I was with every soldier who ever fought for our freedom. It was overwhelming. Last night on the news I saw a man holding up the flag in the midst of the riots and I saw the mob push him down and beat him but he wouldn’t let go. I cried. Thank you