Reflecting on Memorial Day, quick thought. How many of us truly understand what this day is about? Too often we get consumed with picnics, watersports, auto racing, et al, forgetting this day is set aside to remember the sacrifice of those who have died to protect our freedom we take so lightly.
Originally Decoration Day came out of a day set aside by Southern communities to honor those Confederate Soldiers who died in the American Civil War. In 1868 a proclamation was issued to observe this day nationwide, and in 1967 Congress officially renamed it Memorial Day and moved the observance to where it is today.
More importantly than the history of the day though, are the people whose sacrifice we remember. Those who died of battle fields foreign and domestic, so that we can have the freedom to eat burned food outdoors, get wet, watch cars run in circles and act foolish and noble.
The freedom to do as we please, to think as we please, to speak as we please.
It was their sacrifice that makes this possible, surely we can take a few moments on one day out of 365 to remember their gift to us, the living, the free. Surely for just a few moments we can not take their sacrifice for granted.
Mendy Belz of World Magazine wrote a thoughtful piece, Blood That Speaks, in the May 17th issue. It ends as follows:
"Their blood cries to us from the ground like the blood of Abel: Tell us your story, we ask, so we won't forget. It leaves us weak and ready for the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word."
Let us, on this day, tell their story and not forget their awful and precious gift to us.
"We are all in the same boat on a stormy sea and
we owe each other a terrible loyalty." - G. K. Chesterson
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