Memorial Day

Memorial Day

I get conflicted about holidays that are meant to celebrate or memorialize military veterans. Yes, their choice to serve (or forced service, in the case of some who were drafted) is honorable and should be marked, solemnly and advisedly. What is not often mentioned is the sacrifice their families made. 

Wives, sisters, mothers, fathers, brothers, and children all pay a price, too-- and often, they are left without the support and love of the ones who were lost. We say proud and thankful words for those who served, but don't the families serve, too? They are given very little recognition, and their sacrifices are disregarded too often, even by some in the government that their loved ones served. 

For those who have lost loved ones, today is one of the days that there is a public acknowledgement of the choices made and the prices paid. Today is the holiday that focuses on those who died. (Veterans' Day is for all who served honorably.) And I hope that their choice to serve is given the thought and recognition it deserves. I only hope that the country that they represented, and the ideals they fought for, are upheld in the coming days, months, and years. 

The losses sustained by families should be honored, and the soldiers should not have died in vain.

C