a time of celebration
A few years ago during a convo involving my husband’s amazing lack of memory for specific dates, I queried what my actual birth date is. After too many stabs at the wrong dates in May, he said in frustration, “Why can’t it be on an important day, like the 4th of July or St Patrick’s Day?” Mind you, his own birthday is the 4th of July and his brother’s is St Patrick’s Day. What followed was my asking what date St Patrick’s Day actually is, and him getting it wrong of course…and a reminder that every few years, my birthday DOES fall on a very important day – Memorial Day.
I honestly feel like this national holiday (and so many others) has lost so much of its original intent. Do people really think that our nation’s leaders put random dates on the calendar as excuses to take a 3 day weekend off work (if you’re fortunate to have that type of job) or make it an excuse to bar-b-que & drink it up with your friends/family? No, it’s a day of observance to honor the precious lives that were laid for the sake of our country’s freedom.
I am not suggesting that we all stop the bar-b-que & friend/family gatherings, but that we take extra care in remembering why we have the privelege of this time together with those we love. Use it as a celebration to honor the lives of the fallen and the freedom at which they died for.
Amen!!