Sunday, May 26, 2013

Memorial Day Tribute

What do you do on Memorial Day?  In our family, we always went to the cemetery to place flowers on all our relatives' graves.  We meet cousins, uncles, aunts and friends doing the same thing, and we would stop to visit and reminisce about the people we knew.

After the cemetery, we went to my favorite uncle's house for a picnic and to play soft ball or touch football.  He cooked the hamburgers and hot dogs on the outside stone grill he built while my aunt and all the other women of the family made up the potato salad, baked beans, etc.

Last of all, we made home made ice cream.  Yay!  Nothing could be better than this ice cream and it was so much fun to make and was delicious. 

We always think of our veterans on Memorial Day, too.  My favorite uncle, Uncle Ray, was a veteran of WWII, so we always place a flag on his grave to honor the patriot he was.  This reminds me that we need to help our veterans, and here is one way to do it without any cost to you other than time. Go to this site and click on the blue button at The Veterans Site and help a homeless and hungry veteran get a free meal.  http://theveteranssite.greatergood.com/tpc/ERV_052213_VET_m  This is the least we can do for our men and women fighting in foreign wars.

These days many people don't visit their loved ones who have passed because they're too busy, which is kind of sad.  They don't know what they're missing by not going to the cemetery.  There's so much history there.  Our family goes back centuries in the small town I grew up in, and it's lovely to stroll through the stones seeing the members of our ancestry.

Remember those who have gone before you and hope some day someone will recall you when you die.  I know those who are young think they will never die, but if you had a friend your age die you know it can happen at any age or time.  Memorial Day is the day to honor those who have gone ahead of us.  I will be visiting my small town cemetery on the 27th.

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day, and I'll see you next week. 

Sandra K. Marshall
http://www.sandramarshallblog.blogspot.com

4 comments:

Linda LaRoque said...

Sounds like a good tradition. We really don't have any traditions that revolve around military holidays, which is a shame. I guess it's part of our life style.

Melissa Keir said...

What a wonderful time! My family has served in WWI and WWII. I have two great uncles that died in WWII that prevented my grandfather from going. My dad was a reservist and family man during the Asian conflicts so he didn't see service overseas, only locally with the Guard. My brother in law is in the Navy. He and his family (My sister, nephew and niece) just returned from three years in Japan. The Military has been a part of my life.

I remember each Memorial Day, having a parade through town and ending at the cemetery where we'd sit and have a picnic.

Sadly, I no longer live in that town but each time I go home, I drive through the cemetery and sit for a bit with my mom (she's there) and of course wave at my family. Like you, we take up a large portion of the cemetery. Come snow or rain, I always visit and have written about the town that is dear to my heart.

Sandy said...

I only think of Veteran's Day as a military holiday, Linda. Memorial Day is the holiday we remember everyone in the family.

Sandy said...

Melissa, what a neat idea to have a parade ending at the cemetery and a picnic. Our cemetery would be great for a picnic, too. It has huge wonderful trees, and it's so peaceful there with the rustling of the leaves murmuring in the breeze.