Memorial Day

I remember when I was much younger, probably around 8 years old, my family was out in Sugar City, Idaho visiting my mom's parents and family.  It was the end of May, we had gone out from Virginia to celebrate my grandparents' 50th wedding anniversary.  It was an eventful trip.  We were there when the Teton Dam broke and destroyed my grandparents' home.  But before that, we celebrated their anniversary.  And before that, we remembered our ancestors.

I had never experienced a Memorial Day like that one.  I can still remember the day being sunny and beautiful and it was quite breezy.  My cousins and I ran around the backyard playing with one another and helped here and there the adults gathering and arranging the flowers to take to the cemeteries.  I remember it as a very good and loving memory.

That's all of the memory I retain.  I don't remember actually going to the cemeteries or any of the festivities that surely followed.  I remember the attitude of duty and love surrounding the preparations.

Today is Memorial Day.  I am thankful for those that serve and have served for my family.  So that my children can have a childhood.  I'm thankful that my children have sweet dreams and a feeling of contentment because of the great men and women and their wives,, husbands, mothers and fathers and children who are willing to sacrifice for my hopes and dreams.

I have a brother in law who serves in the Navy as a SEAL.  I love him.  I'm so grateful to him and his family for their sacrifice.  You couldn't meet a nicer guy.  He's being transferred to Guam here in a couple of months.  His wife and son are going with him this time because it'll be for 3 years instead of the normal 6 month deployment.  Such sacrifice.

We may not agree on the current political environment nor on the decisions made by the different branches of our great government, but I would hope we could all agree that we live in the greatest country on earth.  It's because of the sacrifices made by our forefathers and foremothers and by all of the sacrifices previous generations have made and the sacrifices we currently make.  We are a great nation.  How blessed we are to live here.

I'll keep rambling about my patriotism, so I'll just end.  But, it is with tears in my eyes that I declare my gratitude for all who serve this wonderful country.