Memorial Day is not one of those holidays that I can wish a 'happy day' to someone, though that's often how we phrase it. It has become a signal of the beginning of summer, and a day for BBQs and pool parties. But Memorial Day is not a day for celebration. It is a day for honor and remembrance.
A day to stop our busy lives and remember that those of us who went to church today, did so without fear of persecution, because of the men and women that have given their lives in service to our country. To remember the families that won't have grandpa around for their 4th of July picnic this year, because he died in Germany when his plane was shot down. Or their mom or dad isn't there, because they were killed in Vietnam or Korea. To think of the kids and young adults whose parent - whose brother or sister gave their life in Operation Iraqi Freedom, or fighting in the mountains of Afghanistan.
We don't have to agree with the wars our country is fighting, to support our soldiers. You don't even need to get excited when you get the chance to sit down with a veteran, and hear their stories. But on a day that our nation has set aside to remember those who gave their lives, you DO need to be thankful. Their willing sacrifice is the reason that you don't have to go fight a war you don't believe in.
Every Memorial Day, I am overwhelmingly grateful that the sacrifice that I remember and am thankful for is not that of my own family or friend. My cousin served two summer tours of duty in Iraq, and my best friend spent a year in the desert. By the grace of God, they both came home, and I get to celebrate holidays with them, and attend their weddings and birthday parties.
This weekend is dear to me because my life could be a completely different story, were the world a different place. Our military is not everything. I would be the first to admit that. But Americans have lost the love and respect for our troops that we once had. In 1942, Rosie the Riveter was a persona developed to inspire the women on the home-front during World War II, who had to take over the men's jobs in the factories. Many of our bomber aircraft were made by these woman, while their husbands, fathers and brothers were fighting on the battle-front.
Today, woman have taken that same "We can do it!" slogan and twisted it to a degree that many of my generation have grown up believing that they didn't need men. Rosie the Riveter wasn't a woman who didn't need a man - she was a woman taking care of her man.
To me, this is the other meaning of Memorial Day. Not all casualties of war are deceased. Men and woman come back from combat changed. Wounded physically, yes, but also mentally and emotionally. Somewhere along the line, it became seen as weak and unacceptable for a warrior to need help. But our warriors need us, all the same.
My new bracelets, shown here, are a personal reminder and a public statement of my feelings on the matter. The red, white and blue one is obvious - my pride in the American flag displayed on my wrist for the world to see. The second one, in black and white, is two-fold in meaning - this stands for the POW-MIA flag, forever honoring those soldiers taken as prisoners of war that never got to return home, and those missing in action - with no closure for their families. No proper burial or honors for the soldiers. It also represents the Wounded Warrior Project, committed to helping those soldiers who return home in need of both physical and mental/emotional help.
I'm proud to take a stand for those who have stood on the front lines for my freedom. Are you?
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