in memory & gratitude

we, as Americans, all know that the last Monday of May is Memorial Day. a day for remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country, whether in times of peace or war. i think we forget sometimes though what this day really means in the middle of enjoying our long weekend & bbq food. as the daughter of a Vietnam Veteran, i was taught the respect that this special day deserves & i try my best to recall, even if just to myself, why exactly it is we have this day of memorial: that some of our brave boys & men & women--sons, fathers, brothers, mothers, sisters, boyfriends, fiances, friends--are no longer with us because they lived & died defending this great country that we live in. it's not about the paid holiday time or the burgers & hotdogs & potato salad or the "unofficial" beginning of summer. it's about the precious lives lost & the honor they are due.

some little bits of Memorial Day trivia:

**In 1868, General John A. Logan, first commander of the Grand Army of the Republic issued a General Order establishing May 30 as an official memorial day--known at this time as Decoration Day--to pay respect to all those who had died during the Civil War.
**In 1882, the name of the holiday was changed to Memorial Day, and soldiers who had died in other wars were also honored.
**In 1966, the federal government, under the direction of President Lyndon Johnson, declared Waterloo, New York, the official birthplace of Memorial Day. They chose Waterloo—which had first celebrated the day on May 5, 1866—because the town had made Memorial Day an annual, community-wide event during which businesses closed and residents decorated the graves of soldiers with flowers and flags.
**In 1971, Congress declared Memorial Day a national holiday to be celebrated the last Monday in May. (Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor all veterans, living and dead, is celebrated each year on November 11.)
**Today, Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Also, it is customary for the president or vice-president to give a speech honoring the contributions of the dead and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

i wish you all a safe, happy, enjoyable bay of remembrance this Memorial Day.