Memorial Day brings time to remember
By Alonzo Weston
It’s the time of year again for another heavenly family reunion. When we visit cemeteries on Memorial Day, we have a reunion with family and friends who are deceased.
My grandmother, grandfather, great-grandmother, mom, dad, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends will all be there. We’ll eat my mom’s fried chicken and potato salad and my grandmother’s peach cobbler. Dad will sing and my Uncle Phil will play the piano and organ while Uncle Charles plays guitar. Uncle Curtis will be listening to the high school football games on his transistor radio, and Grandpa Jim will put on a rodeo. Some faces who we recently lost will be there along with some new births at the picnic table. Everyone in the cemetery will be welcome as it was at my Grandmother Lena’s house. Her door was always open.
It’s Memorial Day and it will all come alive in our memories. We will invite the soldiers, men and women who lost their lives in battle to keep us free and we don’t forget the reason for the day. Yes, we’ll have our picnics and cookouts while not forgetting those responsible for us having that freedom.
Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, to recognize the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers. It came to commemorate the sacrifices of all soldiers who lost their lives in battle. Originally called Decoration Day, we are to fly our flags at half-staff and lay wreaths at Arlington National Cemetery. My Uncle Charles will welcome the tradition of the Indy 500 as he did every year in life.
Memorial Day is not a time to thank our current troops. We should do that every day. And we should not let politics deter us from observing the importance of the day. Tradition has it that you can wear white on Memorial Day up until Labor Day and it’s OK to wear red, white and blue patriotic colors or black and gray on this day. Do not wear yellows, oranges, pinks and other bright colors.
One thing we must do is not forget our loved ones and those who sacrificed their lives. Yes, we can have our cookouts, festivals and parades but don’t forget the reason for the day. It’s one day to honor our fallen soldiers and lost loved ones.
So as you fire up the grill or hold a party, remember those who gave their lives and made sacrifices in your family for you to do so. It’s not Happy Memorial Day, it’s a day to remember.
