Yesterday was Memorial Day….. A day when we remember and honor all of the fallen soldiers who gave their lives for this incredible country we live in.
Over all the years this country has been in existence the men and women in our military forces have defended our constitution, our way of life and our freedom. There have been, and still are, times when we seem to forget or take for granted how good our lives can be in comparison to many, many other countries around the world. The families of those who fought and gave their lives so we could enjoy the freedoms we have in America, will never forget - and neither should any of us.
It is said that "When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure".
Days of remembrance, like this Memorial Day, become days of treasured memories and days of patriotism. This is the patriotism we all should exhibit every day. We should remember, honor and treasure those who gave their lives and all those who fought to build and sustain this country on so many wonderful values. America was built by Christian men who thanked their Father in Heaven for all they had been blessed with. They included His name in high ranking documents that are still in force today - hundreds of years later. These men fought valiantly to make sure all men and women in America would live in freedom, have the choice to choose our own religion, to pursue our dreams, to have the ability to speak up for right and wrong without fear of retaliation, and to choose our friends and those we want to associate with.
Another saying is that in this life you meet people who forget you. You forget people you meet. But sometimes you meet those you cannot forget. Those people are your "friends". Those people hold a special place in your memory and in your heart - no matter how close or far you may live from one another.
I went to the cemetery today to visit my Grandmother and Step-Grandfather's graves. The section of the cemetery where they are was, and still is, reserved for military personnel and their families. My grandmother, "Nani" and her husband "Papa" who served as a Sergeant in WWI are buried side by side. There were flags that had been placed on every grave. As I sat on the grass between their two graves, I was overwhelmed by the sea of U.S. Flags across the grounds. It was very moving to sit in the quiet and feel the love and dedication it took for a group of people to place each of the flags so all of the military buried there could be honored.
I love the anonymous quote that states:
"Death leaves a heartache no one can heal, love leaves a memory no one can steal."
How true all of these quotes and sayings are. As I sat there today, my mind became a flood of wonderful memories I had, mostly of my Grandmother because my Papa had passed when I was young and my memories of him are few. But I also had an overwhelming feeling of pride as I looked at all of the American flags and knew that those placed on the grave of a military man or woman was a way of saying "Thank you" for all they had done to keep our country free and as I got up to leave, I said a prayer for all of them and a thank you for all they had done.
"Life gives us brief moments with another...but sometimes in those brief moment we get memories that last a life time..." – Anonymous
My memory of this day will last a lifetime.
"Happy are the people who know you Lord, who walk in the radiance of
your face. In your name they sing joyfully all the day..."
~Psalms 89; 16-17
I pray that each and every soldier, whose grave I saw today,
knew the Lord and are now happy in His presence.
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