For all of my life, Memorial day has held little meaning. I have seen the president speak at Arlington on TV, the flags flying at many houses. But for me, the holiday never had a face.
I visited my mother yesterday morning, and asked her if anyone in our family had ever died in service. She could not recollect any. She did revisit the forgotten story of how my dad and his twin brother lied about their age to go fight in WWII. Interesting, is seems that in todays age of suspect wars, the only lying going on is by those who would rather not go to battle...
This year, the holiday does have a face. My best friends sister died last year while serving in the National Guard. She was Kyles younger sister, I can remember when she was just a small child. I have been very close to this family and when she dies, it did feel like a member of my own family died. I consider myself one step removed, affected in my own level.
As I hiked through the forest yesterday, I thought a lot about what Memorial day means to those who lost a family member. I thought about how much I hate war, killing of any person, or animal for that matter. But, I still feel compelled to honor those who did died in a horrible war. Those people didn't start the war, they were doing what they believed was the right thing. They did it for their country, which has to be the most noble of deaths, if there is such a thing.
I remember a few weeks ago reading a column in the PI by Robert Jaimieson "War's fallen are too often forgotten".
I walk by the Garden of Remembrance every day. Its a daily reminder to me that war kills many people. There are quotes on the wall from letters of soldiers. One that gets to me every time I read it is by a soldier in WWII. He says something to the effect of "its too lovely of a time of year to be fighting a war". The soldier knew he could die any day, yet he still had time to take in the beauty of the earth.
I wondered today, how many people that walk right through the Garden to get to Starbucks, even know what all those names on the stone wall are? How many even care? I have always known and always cared.
To the face I can finally attach to this most solemn of all US Holidays, I say thank you Kirsten for all that you have done for our country.
