How are we treating Memorial Day? Let’s plunge into the Deeper Waters and find out.
Okay. I admit I need to teach this to myself a lot more. It’s really hard sometimes to think about Memorial Day. In my own family, I have to think a bit before remembering anyone who has military service and the one that comes to mind is my uncle who died a few years ago. I can’t think of anyone in my family who died in combat. It doesn’t mean they’re not there, but if they are, they are in the extended family and I’m not aware of them.
Maybe you’re in the same boat. Maybe you don’t know anyone like that in your family right off. That’s okay. There might not be. On my side, it’s not that my family isn’t patriotic. We certainly are. It’s just that for whatever reason we didn’t serve.
So for me, this is really a normal day. If I didn’t know today was Memorial Day, the only thing I would be wondering is why the mail isn’t running today. Actually, I even checked before I remembered that it’s Memorial Day.
But again, that’s just me. For a lot of people, it isn’t. My wedding anniversary is probably for you a normal day. It sure isn’t here. There are many families today out there that are missing someone. There are many chairs that are empty. They did lose loved one in various wars.
That means their were husbands that never returned to kiss or embrace or make love to their wives again. There were fathers who never returned to teach their sons how to play baseball. There were mothers who never got to go get a dress for prom with their daughter.
They won’t be gathering around a grill outside (Which I don’t do anyway, another oddity) to fix hot dogs and burgers. Their families don’t just see this as another day off of work. In reality, this day can be super depressing for them.
So really, one of the best ways to honor the day would be to honor those families. Spend time with them. Don’t try and have fun with them unless they want that. Just be there for them. Listen to them. Let them talk about the sacrifices their loved one made for us.
Over here, we have a lot to be grateful for. We live in a country that is founded on the idea of freedom. It’s not a natural in human history. There has never been a country like this before. We have changed the world with this radical idea.
Give thanks to these families. They need to know that their pain today still matters. Their loved one or loved ones are appreciated.
So to all of you who lost loved ones, I am sorry for your loss. I appreciate your sacrifice and theirs. It wasn’t in vain. Any freedom I have today is in part because someone else was willing to sacrifice theirs.
Thank you.
Happy Memorial Day everyone.
Never forget.
In Christ,
Nick Peters
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