Memorial Day

Memorial Day

Unfortunately, our country is going through a season of rewriting history. There is a movement afoot to eradicate anything and everything that is not politically correct. Statues in public places are removed; names of college buildings, streets and public places are renamed. Whatever makes people uncomfortable is subject to revision.

Memorial Day hasn’t as yet fallen under the sway of correctness. Established as Decoration Day at the end of the Civil War and later renamed Memorial Day, becoming a national holiday in 1971. What began as a memorial to the 498,332 soldiers who died in the Civil War (more deaths than any other war fought by our country), is now a poignant reminder of the massive cost of our freedom.

Recently, I read this quote from Dark Cloud – Deep Mercy by Mark Vroegop: “Memorials help us remember by making us feel the weight of a tragedy. Without them, we are prone to forget and repeat the mistakes of the past. They remind us that there are lessons to be learned.”

Driving by our city cemetery today, I saw men and women, veterans, walking from grave to grave, placing an American flag in front of veterans’ markers. It is a cold, windy spring day that wasn’t stopping the honoring of those long gone who served their country. What a testimony to the character of people who made history instead of trying to sanitize it.

Seeing those crisp American flags blowing in the wind, sent chills down my spine thinking of all that has gone before so that I might enjoy our way of life. I am reminded of this verse from Ecclesiastes: “The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning.”

Memorial Day is a time to remember and mourn all who have laid down their lives for our freedom.