Those Who Have Gone Before Us

If you are like most of America, you woke up this morning with the satisfying relief that you did not have to go into the office today.  You probably hit the snooze button on your alarm clock with wild abandon countless times before you crawled out of bed to begin a day that includes some kind of parade or perhaps a picnic, or at least some kind of opportunity to show off your grilling prowess.  

Yes, today is Memorial Day.  The banks are closed.  The neighborhood kids are out of school.  And my postal carrier will not be making a pitstop at my front door.  But why?  

Because today is a day for remembering.  

A day to remember the service men and women who have given their lives for our country.

A day to remember family members who have blessed our lives.

A day to remember friends who have left us too soon.

A day to remember those who have gone before us.

Often I think we get so caught up in our own busyness, in our own worries and frustrations of today, and in our own plans for tomorrow that we fail to pause and remember.  Did you know that over a million individuals have died in service to America?  Seriously, that is no small number.  I saw a story on the news this weekend where Riverside National Cemetery in California did a roll call to honor all of the veterans who have been buried there.  They started that roll call on May 16 and are concluding today.  For nine days, volunteers read names around the clock to honor the women and men who have made sacrifices for our nation.  I believe that was a worthy endeavor because each of those lives mattered.

And each of those lives can still matter.

If we can learn from those who have gone before us, if we can not only recognize the value in their lives, but also celebrate it, their lives weren’t lived in vain.  Recognize their unique stories.  Realize the lessons they taught.  Revel in the lives they lived.  Perhaps that is what Memorial Day is all about.

Sure, this afternoon I will gather with family and friends.  I will likely get lost in the laughter and the conversation.  There is even a good chance I will get stuffed on kabobs from the grill.   And, yes, I will have a satisfying feeling just knowing that the genesis of summer has arrived.   But in the midst of it all, I will remember.   Because the lives of those who have gone before us are too important to forget.