A half dozen years ago, people began wishing me a Happy Memorial Day. I didn’t think much of it the first year. A couple years went by and I heard news anchors signing off with “Have a happy Memorial Day weekend.” Then I noticed advertisements inviting people to celebrate “the sale of the year.”
How is this possible?
It surprises nearly everyone that English is my second language. I was born in Wisconsin to immigrant parents who tried in every way to assimilate as new Americans. Yet, we spoke a mix of Armenian and English during my childhood. As a result, I often take the words people say, literally.
Really listen to the words in this video below. It will take less than six minutes of your time “for a soldier who died today.”
How do we combine MEMORIAL with HAPPY and JOYOUS?
Today is the day we put aside to remember fallen heroes and to pray that no heroes will ever have to die for us again. It’s a day of thanks for the valor of others, a day to remember the splendor of America and those of her children who rest in this cemetery and others. It’s a day to be with the family and remember.
– President Ronald Reagan, Memorial Day, 1986 at the Arlington National Cemetery
While millions of families memorialize lost ones, let us take a moment during our weekend respite to honor the mighty and the brave, who have given their lives so that we may live ours. Let us also honor those who lived after giving everything they had.
Thank you, Ron Sugajski (Army veteran who served in Vietnam) for sharing the following video. (Turn up the volume and feel the rich splendor of these tributes and try not to turn away from these powerful images.)
Thank you to my late Aunt Dorothy and two Uncles, George and Edward, who served in the Army and Marines during WWII, my cousins, and many Many MORE!
