An article about the true meaning of Memorial Day.
For many in today's, fast-paced culture, Memorial Day weekend has become a time to celebrate a three day vacation from work, the first barbecue of the season, the ending of the school year or the annual auto racing spectacles on television. Yet, as rapid as our culture has become, the true meaning of Memorial Day should be more apparent to us now than ever before. For those of us born after the Vietnam War, none had faced great adversity or feared survival until those moments, hours, days and weeks after September 11, 2001. Just as the world changed forever, so did the thought-processes of many in this country's younger generations, the ones once pinned as computer nerds. In short order, many of those brave "nerds" put down their MP3 players and X-Boxes for guns and tanks with nothing else in mind than the freedom we so dearly enjoy. Yet now, many of those once-deemed bookworms have gone on to become the newest members in God's arsenal of angels. This brings us back once more to the true meaning of the upcoming holiday. Memorial Day, or Decoration Day as it was begun after World War I, is a time to reflect, a time to remember, a time to pray and a time to give our sincerest of all thanks to those individuals, the average, everyday Joes and Janes like us, who paid for our freedom by giving their lives. So, as we watch the drop of the checked flag this weekend, while eating those barbecue sandwiches, let us not forget that other flag -- the stars and bars, "Old Glory" and let us stop to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can live in freedom. Have a Happy and Safe Memorial Day!
Jill Eisnaugle is the author of the inspirational poetry books, "Under Amber Skies" and "Coastal Whispers". She resides in Texas City, Texas with her family and pets.
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