This mural in my home town of Toronto, Ohio, pretty much says it all. We are a small town, and we remember those sons and daughters who have made the ultimate sacrifice. Memorial Day is special for me to both remember those who gave their all, and pray for those still out there away from home and family protecting our way of life. For the men and women who left home as raw kids and returned as hardened fighting machines, and don’t quite fit in to the civilian world any more. The Oath of Office they have taken has no expiration date.
We decorate the town for the holiday, and we encourage people to remember what the holiday is really about. We have flags on all of the telephone poles commemorating the residents who have served. The two young men shown below were both killed in action. I am quite sure that their families would rather have them here and healthy than their pictures on a phone pole.
Memorial Day. Not a day for picnics, and great sales, and changing to our summer wardrobe, but rather a day to remember. Remember the cost in human lives for the freedoms we enjoy. Remember the daily struggle for those families whose sons or daughters paid the ultimate price to keep our freedoms. Remember the thousands, if not millions, of children who said goodbye to their parent and never saw them again, or who lost them before they ever had the chance to meet them. Remember the men and women who left home in peak health, and returned missing limbs, eyes, ears, or mental stability. Realize the cost these men and women have paid, so that you can have picnics and celebrate with family and friends in peace.
My family has been extremely fortunate. In spite of three generations of military service, we have never had a family member killed or wounded. I am keenly aware that this is not the normal situation for military families. I pray daily that those I love are protected as they serve.
So before you light the grill or head for the sales, take some time to remember. To mourn. To pray for the families who have lost any reason to celebrate, that they receive from our precious Lord the comfort and strength they need to get though each day missing a vital part of themselves.
Stop back on Thursday as the North American Shop Hop returns to visiting Quilt Shops.