Remembrances

That is the true purpose of Memorial Day, but we all know its focus has changed over time.

Many folks now use the holiday to decorate all graves of lost loved ones in their families. The extended weekend gives those who have moved away a chance to come back, so it’s not unusual to see a sort of “homecoming” of families, with a trip to local cemeteries to pay respects.

I know the focus should be on the military men and women who lost their lives, but something tells me they don’t mind that others are also paid their due respects. After all, having the freedom to choose to honor our fellow citizens, both past and present, is something our service personnel fight for to this day.

Memorial Day has also become the “unofficial” start of summer, with pools opening and usually the first “summertime” picnics or family gatherings.

It’s a scene played out around this country, as we gather with friends and family to celebrate this great country, to remember its fallen military men and women, to share memories of lost loved ones.

As I grow older and watch as our young people become more and more enamored by technology, I wonder if these age-old traditions will continue.

In 10, 15, 20 to 30 years, will today’s teenagers, who will then be in their 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s, take the time to gather flowers, to visit gravesites, to say a brief prayer or offer up a fond memory?

I know I’ve done those things since my early 20s, first visiting the grave of a friend from my high school days who left far too early, then those of my dad, other relatives and dear friends like Cecil, Rusty, Johnny and Gary.

I’m not always able to get to the gravesites, but I always make time to think about those better days, the times shared, the good and the bad.

I think about how my life is so much different because of the people who came into it and how much I miss these folks who helped to influence who I am.

Pausing to reflect on the past is a healthy exercise. It tends to allow us to put in proper perspective where we’ve been and where we’re headed.

It allows us to give proper thanks for the blessings bestowed, to reflect on correcting things we’ve gotten wrong and to look to the future with more hope — knowing that if we look for the bright moments, they will be there more often than not.

This holiday, find time to think back to those who have made your life better. Think of what they’ve meant to you.

And then go out and try to spread that message to others. We honor our fallen this weekend, as we should. But we should also rejoice in their lives, in the lives of loved ones and of the lives to come — all because people are willing to make personal sacrifices to help others along the way.