Today is Memorial Day, a day to remember. It's a day that always brings me back to my Dad...that's where the meaning of this day lies for me..I grew up with him in Uniform and the memory holds fast in my mind. So today I remember him again and think of all that he gave up and all that we lost and gained because of his service.
Military life is not easy for any family but it is particularly stressful for families that are apart for many months and sometimes years...That was the way of life for my family. My mother refused to travel with my Dad and so there is a long list of "wants" that I wished we could have had as a family...I believe that his travel abroad and and the conflict of two wars, plus the fact that his family was not available to him for long periods of time, ultimately lead to the dissolving of my parents marriage.
On this day though, so many years later, I realize how much he sacrificed for us and his country..Our Country, and for that I thank him..He served with honor and dignity and I think for any person, that is a life well lived.
"Ceremonies are important. But our gratitude has to be more than visits to the troops, and once-a-year Memorial Day ceremonies. We honor the dead best by treating the living well."