Yesterday, while enjoying a relaxing evening at my in-law's lake home, with boaters and fishermen playing out on the water and a wonderful meal spread before us on the table, I asked my seven year old daughter if she knew what Memorial Day means. She wasn't sure.
I explained to her that Memorial Day is the one day a year we set aside to honor and remember the men and women who have died who fought for our country. I later looked it up on Wikipedia and discovered that it started just after the Civil War and was called Decoration Day to honor the men who died during battle. It has continued on for many generations, now extending to all those service people who have died - whether on active duty or not.
Both my grandfathers served our nation and were able to return home to their families - for which I am especially grateful, because I would not be here if either of them had died in battle. My Grandpa Leo served in World War II and later married my Grandma Pat. They had ten children. He died in 1983. My Grandpa Art served in the Korean War and later married my Grandma Charlotte. Together they had nine children. He recently passed away in 2009. Memorial Day is a time to honor them for their bravery, sacrifice and selflessness. I grew up hearing about their time spent in war and seeing pictures of them in uniform. I was, and still am, very proud of my grandfathers.
But it struck me that Memorial Day has become something far different than what it was intended for. To some, it remains a day to honor our soldiers with memorial services and ceremonies, but it's also come to mean the beginning of the official summer season and an extended weekend to enjoy with family and friends. In Minnesota it means heading to lake homes or campgrounds, boating, picnics, and good food. It also means bumper to bumper traffic on Friday afternoon for anyone heading north to the lake country and Monday afternoon for anyone heading back south to the Twin Cities Metro Area.
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| Thankfully Hubby and I were heading south on Friday to the Twins Game. This was the north bound lane not far from where we live - and it looked like this for 100 miles. |
I love Memorial Weekend for all the reasons I mentioned above (except the traffic!), but I also think it's important to keep the real reason for the holiday within our minds and hearts as we enjoy it. It's important to talk to our children about the men and women who served our country and those who continue to do so today.
Our freedom is not free, it comes with a high price tag for those brave enough to pay it.
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| One way we spend our Memorial Day Weekend is at my in-law's home. This was taken last night - just before another thunderstorm rolled in. |
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The family on the deck at sunset.
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| My four kiddos throwing rocks into the lake. |
What about you? How do you spend the Memorial Day Weekend? Do you have friends and family who served our armed forces? Are you in the Military?
