(May 2021). This is an update to my annual Memorial Day message that I've published every year since 2015. It never gets old and is never not applicable. The intro just below reminds us of where we were last Memorial Day versus where we are today. Last year the beaches were closed, the stores were severely limited and restaurants had become a ghost town.
Today we're seeing a robust recovery in most of the country. Of course, if you've read at at all you know I live in California so we have to wait until June 15 for a full reopening. Why? I have no idea except that the Emperor in Sacramento continues his nonsensical control. But that's probably the subject of a whole other blog post (or series of posts)!
I'm confident that the vast majority of people in the U.S. will have a wonderful first weekend of the Summer. The relief is palpable. That we've had so many people vaccinated and are seeing numbers of COVID cases plummeting is wonderful. Despite the selfish, mindless, troglodytes who haven't been vaccinated the success we are seeing as a country in the battle with COVID has been terrific. But those who have any sense of the country and where we've come from will spend a few moments remembering and thanking those Americans who served so that we can all be free.
(May 2020) I put up the post below in 2015 and have repeated every year since. In the over 3300 posts that I've done since starting this fun little blog experiment, this is by far the one I'm most proud. I think it captures the feeling that so many have on this most solemn of American holidays. This year, it takes on a particularly poignant meaning as the national cemeteries around the country are closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I won't pretend to understand that. If there is anywhere that we can social distance and pay respects while following the guidance of health professionals, I would think it's a national cemetery. There are so many this weekend who will be so sad that they aren't able to go pay respects to their loved ones. But I guess that's another issue for another day. For this day, stop. Stop and think. Stop and think about all the people who have picked up the gauntlet and charged into the fray. Or think about those who were just doing their job when the unimaginable happened. Having been there, I can tell you that no matter what you're doing in the service of the country, there will be times when you are tested. They say that courage is being scared to death, but going anyway. That's the story of the vast majority that lie in our national cemeteries. No one believes it will happen to them. But then it does. And what is left? You. You and me. We can remember and we can grieve. And we can tell our children the stories. And most importantly, we can honor them.
(May 2015) This never gets old. The homecoming. Been there, done that. And it is so sweet. After a long or short deployment with separation from your loved ones, coming home has a special meaning. Whether you are on a routine training mission across the country, or on a combat mission on a remote and lonely battlefield someplace that was unknown to you until you stepped off the plane , or on a ship at sea on the far side of the world, coming home is something every service member has on his or her mind from the moment they get on the plane or cast off the lines. And the families at home are no different. They try to go about their daily lives doing all the routine things that consume their time, but the reality of their loved one being far away for some period of time is always there. And it doesn't matter what the mission is. If you are separated by deployment, the danger is always there. No matter if you're driving a truck on a military reservation somewhere in the U.S., humping a pack through dangerous lands, manning a MASH unit behind the lines, doing a routine job on an American warship, flying a routine mission of humanitarian assistance, or so many other jobs, the danger is always there. You could make a misstep and your time could be up in a heartbeat. That's why homecoming is so sweet. You're back in the fold with your loved ones. You can be a part of their lives again. And they can be a part of yours. It's the way we were meant to live. Together.
But this weekend we don't celebrate homecoming. For many, many families they won't ever experience that joyous homecoming. Too many will weep this weekend. Too many will yearn for their loved ones who will never return. So what can we, the living, do? We can honor them. We can think of them. We can pause and remember. Oh, we all know that it is also the first weekend of summer. There will be barbecues, parties, and fun family times. It will be a time to relax and get ready for summer. So have a great time and enjoy whatever endeavor that will come your way. But for a moment, just for a moment, remember those who have fallen to ensure our freedoms and those left behind mourning their loved ones who gave the "last full measure of devotion". And it doesn't matter what they were doing when they lost their lives. What matters is their service. We live in a secure nation. An island nation. We have generally not experienced the horror of attack or the threat of invasion on the scale of other countries around the world. We've had our Pearl Harbor and our 911. And those we're horrific. But think of the war-torn countries around the world. It's not that so many think it can't happen here....it's that so many don't even think about it. But there are those that have. And those that do. Those who recognize service above self. Those who are willing to give, to go in harm's way, to risk all. So take a moment on Monday. A quiet moment. Look around you. Hug your family. And give thanks.
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