How Should You Spend Memorial Day?
Memorial Day was started as a day to pay respect to those service men and women who have died for our country. The initial tradition involved decorating the graves of those who had fallen hence the initial name, Decoration Day. Today, Memorial Day means something different to everyone. For me, it was an opportunity to think about the age of those who had fallen.
In the Iraq war in particular, fifty-four percent of US casualties have been under the age of twenty-five. In teen health, we know that although the law calls a teen an adult at the age of eighteen, their brains have not fully developed until the age of twenty-five or six. This means that young men and women who have died are being honored on this Memorial Day who never had the opportunity to fully appreciate their dreams.
These are young men and women who should have been securing their sense of self and their desire to settle down if they had not already. We all agree that children are our future, but this is if they make it to a station in life where they get to make the changes to our world that only youth can bring. If you think of where you might have been in your early twenties, you know that you are just getting started. You have just had a few years under your belt of being out of your parent’s home. You have completed or are about to complete school or any training. You have a serious relationship or you have just settled down.
Memorial Day offers us an opportunity to honor those who have served our country, and perhaps the other opportunity it offers us is to honor those whose lives are still a work in progress. To give those young adults in our lives that are struggling and trying to get it all together the helping hand they need to make it. Offer to mentor, give them an opportunity to apprentice or volunteer, or simply share some words of wisdom or hope. Without them, the future of this country will still be unstable despite the blood shed by those who have given their lives for it.
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4 Responses Leave a comment
Thanks for this article! It is so sad that people think of memorial day as the day that the beach/pool opens. Yesterday I was in downtown DC to see an exhibit by a Black photographer (from like the really really old days) depicting academic life in DC during the pre-riot era. While waiting for a friend i saw the “Rolling Thunder” parade which comprises of hundreds of motorcyclists that come from all over the US to honor those that have died in our wards, POWs, and MIAs. There was also something on the news concerning the section at Arlington cemetery that honors those whose lives were taken during the Iraq/Afghanistan wars. The disturbing part of the story is that widows/widowers came with their young children. And let us not forget the impact this has on the children left behind.
Sadly for most that are directly not affected, the focus of Memorial Day has nothing to do with remembrance but about fun, sand, and sun.
I agree completely! The families left behind make it all the more painful.
This is a wonderful article and I agree with you Pamela i.e. the focus of Memorial Day.
As one who has family members serving (and others who have served and died) it is a day we never forget! This morning my mother and I watched our President lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington with great sadness and heartache. I will continue to do my part and thank you for the post.
As a side note, I challenge others to take the time to just say ‘thank you’ to a young soldier when you see them. This is more powerful than you will ever know. When I say this I think about a young man I ran into during the Christmas break (2007) in the mall. I was in the hat shop and he was in with his brother and just the excitement as he shared ‘his story’ and how long he waited to serve. Long story short, his brother was purchasing a hat for him and only had enough for one. As they put the other down I picked it up, purchased and presented it to him. I left him with ‘thank you for serving our country and know that many of us are praying for you.’ He was humble and had tears in his eyes but received and you could see how proud he felt. Let’s stop the negativity and our men and women up.
Wow! What a big spirit you have.