Today is Memorial Day, a day that we remember the men and women who lost their lives to ensure our safety as well as our way of life. This is something that we should all be conscious of on a daily basis but sadly we forget. This is a day for us to refocus and appreciate what we have.
Just as I remember the fallen on Veterans Day, for me, Memorial Day is also a day to remember those who could have easily been one of the memorialized. Those who were saved by being a day late or a day early, those who were born a year prior or a year after, and especially those who were sitting a foot to the left or a foot to the right. These people could have easily been etched on the monuments of the fallen. These people need to be remembered and honored not just for their own service but as the keepers of memory… the brothers and sisters in arms who bear the burden of survival and wrestle with the pain of memory. This is also the reason why we should remember the brave lives that were lost somewhere else besides the battlefield.
I consider myself fortunate that there have only been a few in the many generations of my family, from the Revolutionary War to the present, which have lost their lives fighting for this country. However, there have been countless generations who have struggled with their own memories and many who have had to carry the guilt of life.
For this reason, I take this time to not only remember the sacrifices of the fallen but also offer my undying gratitude to all those who have served and could have easily been a second too late or early. Thank you!
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