Memorial Day: I am a teacher. I teach social studies in a beautiful corner of the foothills of the Green Mountains and in the shade of the Taconics in Appalachia. I am mindful today of both the wonderful benefit of a three-day weekend for my students' and my own sanity as we move into the final hours of the school year (exams are coming!), as well as the reason we have a three-day weekend in the first place: Memorial day...
“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.” ― Gérard de Nerval: Main street is lined with American flags, spring flowers are in their full glory here at 1000 feet (we have a late bloom), the cemeteries have been appropriately planted with geraniums, and marker flags have been swapped out with new and clean annual replacements. Monday is a day for remembrance and gratitude. It is not a day for sirens nor candy thrown from the firetrucks as we drive and march down the parade route. It is a quiet day. A cook-out later may be appropriate, no doubt, but only after some quiet reflection...
I have some friends who have served in a way that I did not: So I though I would offer an old friend's words for my blog this week. He is a man of character, although I only knew him well when we were all young boys aspiring to be men, and had no clue of our adult-self's paths. Since then I have gleaned parts of his path through social media; most impressively to me was his choice to serve as a Marine. This past week my friend Alex posted some thoughts to his "feed" that echoed thoughts I have had in the past. With his permission I offer them here...
A Veteran’s Request for Memorial Day
My friends, I have a favor to ask of you… It’s something that’s been on my mind for a few years but I’ve never quite figured out how to say it, until now.
The favor I ask is this: Please, don’t thank me this weekend. Don’t thank me for my service. Don’t thank me for my sacrifice. Don’t thank my veteran friends for their service or their sacrifice. It’s not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment. I do. We do. But we’re still here, and Memorial Day isn’t about us.
Memorial Day also isn’t really about the start of summer or barbecues or beaches. But I enjoy a cold beer and a good burger too, and it’s part of what we all fought to preserve after all, so no harm there. As long as you can take a moment to remember why we have the day.
If you want to do something to acknowledge the men and women who have worn the uniform, then take a moment to bow your heads and be grateful of those who laid down their lives for our nation. The way we will be doing. Think of them before you thank us.
And when you hear a Veteran say things like “Don’t thank me”, I hope you won’t be offended. Please don’t be hurt if someone reminds you that Memorial Day is not Veteran’s Day. Don’t think us obnoxious or ungrateful. We’re not.
What we Veterans are, is humbled. Humbled by those who went before us. Humbled by those who made the ultimate sacrifice. That’s why it’s sometimes hard to hear “thank you” over Memorial Day. Because the truth is, we don’t feel worthy of your thanks. Not on this weekend.
To many people Veterans are heroes, but to us, our heroes are the men and women buried in Arlington, laid to rest in hometowns across our country, and the ones who never came home. These are the real heroes. They are our friends and brothers and sisters in arms who gave their last full measure of devotion for our nation. Whether we knew them or not, we feel the weight of their loss. They are missed.
So if you want to thank me, do me a favor and get back to me in November. I’ll be really appreciative you thought of me then. But for now, I just want the focus to be on my heroes, the real heroes. The ones no longer with us.
Signed,
A humbled Marine. Semper Fi…
So take a moment, remember those who served, and died...
and enjoy the peace of gathering together in crowds to remember those who sacrificed for the rest of us...
notice the flags and flowers and your friends around you...
and then go enjoy the glorious and blessed life that is all around all of us...
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