Happy Memorial Day

Tomorrow's the official day but I think it might rain so for picture's sake Happy Memorial Day a day early. We're headed to a cookout at 4 and hoping to beat the rain that is threatening to drop at any minute. I hope everyone's out relaxing and enjoying the weekend but first and foremost honoring our nation's war dead.

I feel when Congress made Memorial Day into a three-day weekend, it made it easy for people to be distracted from the spirit and meaning of the day. Among all the flowers that evoke the memories and emotions of war is the red poppy, which became associated with war after the publication of a poem written by Col. John McCrae of Canada. The poem, "In Flander's Field," describes blowing red fields among the battleground of the fallen. Here is the poem:

In Flanders Fields
John McCrae, 1915

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.

From this poem came the idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. The memorial part of Memorial Day is all but forgotten and I hope that you'll think about the real reason we can play on this weekend in May each year.

I will explain to Lilly that it is a day where we give thanks to the people who fought for things we (Americans) have. And for that, I am very very grateful