Week #350 – REMEMBER: Keep the “Memorial” in Memorial Day!
Greetings, All — and Happy Friday!!!
Can you believe it’s here?! Another Memorial Day Weekend — and a re-opening of epic proportions for most of the country!
It gives a whole new layer of meaning — and appreciation — of the word “freedom.”
This post has been an annual repeat — because it’s always a good reminder to keep the “Memorial” in Memorial Day!!!
As always, but especially this year, it’s important to remember the origins of this date and to honor those who gave their lives in service to this country.
Memorial Day, for certain, is a day set aside to remember those who died serving our country. But before it was called “Memorial Day” — it was called “Decoration Day” because it was a day when families reunited at burial locations to “decorate” the graves of their fallen. And because many people traveled very far to get there — they would relish the opportunity to visit and reconnect with relatives, usually accompanied by a pot-luck or picnic supper nearby.
Relish.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? Especially this year, as many of us will spend time freely and comfortably with friends and relatives we haven’t seen in a very long time…seems our modern traditions of family reunions and barbecues are not really that far off.
It’s the REMEMBERING (and DECORATING) that we sometimes miss!
Your Happyness Challenge for the Week Ahead: Keep the MEMORIAL in Memorial Day! Enjoy your family, the weather (nice or not), and the very real freedom we have (even if you still feel limited at this time) — just remember to REMEMBER! This may mean simply raising a flag, bringing a note or flowers to a grave of one who lost his/her life in service, or writing a name in the sand for all to see. You could make a donation, plant a tree, or lay a wreath at the base of a statue. Even after the day is past, the flowers fade, or the ocean wipes the shore clean — you never know how long your tribute will stick to the walls of someone else’s memory!
How will you keep the MEMORIAL in Memorial Day?!
Spread Happyness — share your thoughts or ideas in the comments!
5/28/21 by Grace Church
© Grace Church
grace@spreadhappyness.com