Memorial Day

Today is Memorial Day. Back in the deep south in much earlier years, it was called Decoration Day. Families would gather at church and a service would be held in which all relatives who had "gone on before" were remembered and then after "dinner on the ground" everyone would pitch in and clean up the cemetery and places fresh (or plastic) flowers on the graves. Somewhere along the way, Decoration Day got mixed up with Memorial Day in which members of the armed services who had died were remembered. (I'm sure a Google search could help in this historical criss-cross.)

Anyway, as I was growing up, my paternal grandmother was declared a five star mother by the armed services - which meant she had five sons at one time serving in the armed forces. One of her sons, my uncle, was killed in the attack on Pearl Harbor. I barely recall the crying and visiting of family members when the telegram was received. Then another of her sons was killed during the so-called "Korean Conflict." Hence, out of seven sons, she lost two to armed conflict with other countries.

Hardly anyone is alive in the family today who remembers either of these uncles. Only sister Modine and I do. But what we remember more than on Memorial Day are the days we received word that these beloved family members were no longer alive.

I do hope people will return to the meaning of Memorial Day, instead of looking forward to the sales and the picnics and such.

Just a thought for anyone who may read this.

Brother Hardy