“Never forget freedom is not free”
Have you ever wondered about not having the freedom to worship, work, play or express according to your own freewill? Do you realize the enormous impact slavery creates on the egregore, creating an unrest that lasts for generations?
Memorial Day marks the day to commemorate the sacrifices of our real heroes in freeing us from negative forces. It is the day to remember those who died in the line of their duty. I met a teenager who was heading the local cemetery rather than hitting the mall to enjoy the Memorial Day Weekend sales. I was filled with awe at the attitude of gratitude that youth carried in his heart.
It is indeed okay to enjoy the weekend get-together or getaway or just hit the mall to collect more trinkets but it is essential to keep the real essence of the day alive.
The chiaroscuro of revelry and sobriety on the Memorial Day brings a plethora of thoughts in my mind. I see people planning the fun weekend, I observe retailers decorating their shops with huge estimates of profit and I notice with a heavy heart families who are missing someone and who deeply moan their absence. The someone who sacrificed the dear life for the sake of our independence.
I see rows and rows of white tombstones in Arlington National Cemetery. The freedom wall holds 4,048 gold stars at the World War II memorial. Each gold star represents one hundred American Service personnel who died or remain missing in the war. I notice the several names etched into the granite at the Vietnam Memorial. I offer my heartfelt gratitude to their souls and my smile today carries a weight and responsibility to be true to the nation I belong to.
My teenage niece lately asked me, why do we have so many days to celebrate the people in service and I cleared the cloud, Armed Forces Day which is on the third Saturday of May honors those in service. Memorial Day which is the last Monday of May remembers those who died while serving and Veteran’s Day on the 11th of November honors those who served.
I thank our heroes by being mindful of my thoughts, words and action. Enjoy Memorial Day with friends and family but let the awareness of the day shine forth. Let it not get lost in the noise of the commercials and the glitz of the baubles. Send free online greetings to loved ones, colleagues, relatives and friends. Share the spirit of the Memorial Day with all.
