Simple Ways to Remember and Inexpensive Ways to Have Fun-Part 1

Memorial Day. It is the gateway to summer. People pack into cars and head off on their merry way to fill beaches and campgrounds. To roast marshmallows for making s’mores. To enjoy a long, fun, leisurely weekend. How can we not enjoy such a fantastic holiday weekend? But, bear with me a moment if you will. I read a startling statistic today that only 28% of Americans know the meaning of Memorial Day and that most just consider it day off. That made me sad. Especially being the wife of a veteran. It is so incredibly important to educate ourselves and our children on what Memorial Day really means. This is a day we honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for all of us and our great nation. So please, take a moment and check out some of the sites I’m linking today. There is some really interesting history here and there are some very simple ways to remember and honor the fallen. When our children watch us honor this holiday they will not forget. While we can plan to spend a great deal of this weekend celebrating and enjoying the coming of summer with our friends and family, it’s simple to incorporate remembrance. Here are some easy ways to remember (after you check these simple ways to remember, come on back for some easy inexpensive ways to enjoy some fun in Part 2 of this post):

• Read the poem In Flanders Field:

IN FLANDER’S FIELD

by John McCrae 

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow,
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead.
Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved and now we lie,
In Flanders Fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw,
The torch, be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us, who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow,
In Flanders Fields.

• Take a few moments and visit the site Freedom Remembered

• Read over the information on The White House Commission on Remembrance. (Note the participants-Amtrak will be involved as will Major League Baseball). 
• Learn about the history of the Buddy Poppy from the VFW
• Learn some simple classic ways to observe Memorial Day

Ben Franklin said it best: “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.”

As for my family we will, in particular, be remembering Josh Powell this weekend. He was a good man that served with my husband. Thank you Josh. We remember you.

In Memory of Staff Sgt. Joshua D. Powell