I am blessed to be from and to have married into a family of warriors. Men and women who stood up and fought for this country, many of them when it wasn't easy or popular.
Each year, I struggle with how to honor these men and women-concerned that I will inadvertently leave out a name of a friend or family member who has served our country.
We live in controversial times. We are entangled in political debates, moral issues, and ethical questions.
But Memorial Day is a day to push the pause button. To remember the men and women who have paid the ultimate price to allow us to continue to live in a free country-even if it is controversial.
There is nothing wrong with celebrating this holiday with cook-outs and beach trips. There is nothing wrong with buying a new car or new furniture because it is on sale for the holiday. But that is not what this holiday is about.
It's about the father who will never meet his baby girl.
It's about the girl will not have her father to walk her down the aisle.
It's about the father that will raise his children alone.
It's about the mother who clings to the carefully folded flag that covered her child's coffin.
It's about all of the veterans that came home and wonder why their fellow soldiers did not.
Enjoy your 3-day weekend. Grill, swim, and sleep in on a Monday. But know that somewhere, there is someone for whom Memorial Day is not just a day off from school or work, but a day of mourning, grief and remembrance.
To all of our friends and family who have served. Thank you.
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