Our most humbling family tradition occurs on Memorial Day Weekend.
Three generations gather at the cemetery to honor and remember those who paved the way for our freedoms, our lives and our heritage.
American flags have been placed beside the headstones of those who served in our country’s armed forces.
Colorful flowers brighten the landscape.
We clean the headstones, reminisce and pause in quiet reflection.
My children have never met the family members buried there – not even their grandma.
Yet, with a willing heart, they kneel on the ground and scrub the headstones clean. They trim tall grass and pull weeds. They listen to the stories of our family members who are buried there – some dating back to the 1800s.
I hope this tradition teaches them how special our lives are because of the sacrifices made by those who came before us.
This is what I wrote last year for Memorial Day and it bears repeating.
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To all who have served our country far and wide.
To those who have stood by their side.
To the souls who have ultimately died.
Your sacrifice is held with great national pride.
Let’s all take a moment today to remember the happiness and freedoms we enjoy in the United States of America came at a great cost – one we should never take for granted.
Thanks for stopping by today.
Not to be a downer, but these posts might be worth reading. They were hard to write, so I hope they help someone else.