Memorial Weekend

I have been looking forward to this past weekend for a few weeks. From the time I got off work early on Friday afternoon to about five o'clock yesterday, we worked non-stop (except Sunday) on our yard. I was ecstatic to have my husband home for the entire weekend to help me and work on the whole thing together - we made a LOT of headway.

While we were on our way from one errand to another on Monday, we ended driving past a graveyard. It was jam packed with cars and people and the ground was overflowing with flowers and balloons. As I watched families gathered around their loved ones, I thought again, like I do everyday, about how profoundly grateful I am that I have all my loved ones with me. I felt a deep appreciation that I live in a free country to enjoy happy times with my husband and family and that I owe that freedom to so many lives.

As Paul and I have knelt down to thank our soldiers in evening prayers, I have often thought about what it would be like to send someone off to war...or to be the one going to war. What would it be like to be without the one you love for long periods of times, never knowing what could happen on any given day as they defend our freedom from diverse places? I imagine I would be sick with worry day in and day out. I imagine that I would cry a whole lot. I don't know what it means to face death to defend something else. I don't know what it means to sacrifice time away from my spouse and children, even missing their birth. I don't know what it means to lose a husband in the line of duty and face raising children alone. I hope that is something I never have to go through, with or without a war. I am grateful that mine sleeps next to me every night.

I admit that with all we had planned this weekend, it can be very easy to get caught up in sales and time off. I am glad I drove by the Memorial site - it helped put things into perspective. One other thing I thought about as we drove by was all the flowers. Flowers are beautiful but flowers wilt and die. Someone will be by to throw away those thousands of flowers in a week or so. Why do we do flowers? I think action is best. While there is a lot of good in the world, it feels drowned out at times by corruption and greed and laziness. I saw a picture of a parade with the American flag being walked down front and center. The only person standing was an elderly man...who was in a wheelchair. It has always bothered me when I see people not standing for the flag or putting their hand over their heart. I think it's disrespectful to those who have given their lives defending it and have often that that people need to show more respect and be more grateful for where they live. I think that if there was ever a time that I didn't honor the flag, my Grandpa would turn in his grave. My friend's post echoed the same thought - that Memorial Day needs to be taken more seriously and that there are actions we can take to keep this country great and show respect. I hope everyone does.