Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day.

It signifies the beginning of summer for the most all of us.

Days at the lake.

Cookouts.

Family time.

Most importantly, it is a day set aside to remember the people who made the ultimate sacrifice. This is a time to reflect on their memory. A time to remember how we became and remain, a nation with so many freedoms.

But when did we start celebrating Memorial Day?

Memorial Day is the last Monday in May. It is a day set aside to remember those who have died in the service of their country. It was originally known as Decoration Day and began after the Civil War. The original date chosen to remember those service members was May 30th. The date was chosen in 1868 by General John A. Logan because up to that point it was not the anniversary of any particular battle.

This morning I started flipping through my Facebook feed and came upon a post that my sister, Lauren, had shared. It was a D-Day post about a British artist who, with volunteers, used rakes to etch 9,000 silhouettes into the sand on the beaches of Normandy France. The silhouettes represented the soldiers who died during the D-day beach landings on June 6th, 1944. The pictures and the story of this endeavor was powerful and moving.

I watched the movie, Saving Private Ryan – once.

I can’t watch it again. I still can’t get the image of the young men, boys really, crying for their moms out of my head. I know this was a movie, but I believe it portrayed what happened that day as closely as a film can.

I try not to take my freedoms for granted. Being surrounded by the military most of my life, kept me aware of the sacrifices made by the men and women of our military. Today, Lauren’s post was a huge reminder.

This year on Memorial Day.

Have fun.

Cookout.

Enjoy family.

And remember why we are celebrating this day.

Don’t let the reason be forgotten.