{"id":22381,"date":"2019-05-27T07:48:33","date_gmt":"2019-05-27T11:48:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=22381"},"modified":"2019-05-27T07:48:33","modified_gmt":"2019-05-27T11:48:33","slug":"monday-morning-moment-memorial-day-remembering","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/debmillswriter.com\/?p=22381","title":{"rendered":"Monday Morning Moment – Memorial Day Remembering"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Hanscom Air Force Base<\/a><\/div>\n
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[Adapted from the Archives]<\/div>\n
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“Happy Memorial Day” isn’t a greeting that really fits this day.<\/p>\n

Our commemoration of this holiday in America is a bit complex. I get the parades, and the setting flags on tombstones, and the sepia portraits of our military heroes past displayed on Facebook pages. Grandfathers, fathers, husbands, brothers\u2026and, these days, their female counterparts.<\/p>\n

The grilling and road races and t-shirt giveaways at baseball games? I don\u2019t get so much. Yet, like our fellow Americans, we will grill and we will celebrate a day off\u2026and through all that we will remember. We will remember the sacrifices of those who died to preserve our freedom.\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Wikipedia, Normandy Landings<\/a>
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Writing helps me remember. The many lessons of life, the travels, all the people we\u2019ve known along the way, and the great provisions of God. It has helped me to write them down.<\/p>\n

Memorial Day is a somber remembrance. The soldiers I\u2019ve known personally who fought in wars survived them. Still, I have friends who lost loved ones serving in devastating situations. I stand alongside to remember. To remember those of our own who died and to remember those families who also lost their loved ones on the other side of battle. There\u2019s always the other side of war\u2026the family side.<\/p>\n

How ever you spend your Memorial Day\u2026whether with a burger or fasting or at work or play,\u00a0stopping and remembering is the first order of the day. We have much to be grateful for. On this day and every day.\"\"<\/a>Photo Credit: Paul Davis On Crime<\/a><\/p>\n

[Added from Comment when this blog first posted: That gravestone graphic leaves out the deadliest war in our history for some reason. Civil War \u2013 620,000 dead. What a strange omission.<\/em> \u2013 John]<\/p>\n

Vietnam War is the war of my youth. We didn’t understand why we were there. I participated in protests but it didn’t take me long to realize how that wasn’t honoring of those of our country fighting for us. We thought we were communicating to “Bring them home!” but when Vietnam vets did return there really wasn’t a “Welcome home!” So short-sighted of us.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>[Letters from penpals, soldiers in Vietnam, who shared details of what they experienced there. Sacred writings for me now.]<\/p>\n

Take the time today to watch the PBS Memorial Day Concert<\/a>. We watched last night and it was powerful! Stories of those who gave their lives in battle, honoring the different branches of service, and glorious music. Here is Christopher Jackson<\/a> performing “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother”:<\/p>\n