Remembering the Day

     Memorial Day is here and it is another reminder to honor the days gone by; before they fade into the ocean of the past.  Memorial Day is for honoring fallen members of the United States military and paying respect to their memory.  I feel that it may also be a time to reflect on the past and remember friends and family through the times shared together.

Miniatures, painted by a friend,
guarding the bookshelf.

      I was speaking with a friend Margie a while back and we struck upon the subject of Memorial Day.  She mentioned that many people in the younger generations don’t visit relatives’ graves and pay respect to those dearly departed.  It made me think of friends I had not spoken with in several years and relatives nearby that I was “too busy” to visit.  In the spirit of honesty, I was not certain about the origin of the holiday, but looked forward to the extra day off from work/school each year.

     The conversation with Margie got me thinking about how my peers and I look upon or celebrate the past.  A few days later I was speaking with another friend, Lisa, about her father; he passed away the year prior.  She told me about some precious memories and the times they spent together as his time drew to near.  One experience that struck a chord was how she wished that she had saved a recording of a conversation from his hospital room.  Lisa also shared that she had saved a voice mail from him and that is was comforting to hear the sound of his voice.

     After considering the conversations with Margie and Lisa, it felt right to take some time and reflect on life.  It is one day per year to reflect on the fact that the world does not revolve around the proverbial “I” in this iCulture.  It can be a time to sift through pictures, videos, family bibles, letters, medals and trophies to remember the time fading in the distance.  The day can be a catharsis through remembering those times or people that had great influence in life.  Most of all, Memorial Day is a time to pay tribute to men and women who served the military and gave so much, so that we can all enjoy freedom.

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     So rather than focus on creative writing over the holiday weekend, I will be finding ways to sift through the past and honor the memories.  Here are a few examples – Hopefully you will find these rewarding as well:
- Take part in Memorial Day festivities
- Share stories with loved ones
- Watch old family movies
- Dust off and enjoy going through old photo albums
- Go through the hundreds of saved smart phone pictures
- Visit a cemetery and take a moment with a deceased relative
- Put pen to paper and write a letter to an old friend (Snail Mail!)

     Happy Memorial Day everyone!  Take some time to remember the sacrifice of all those fallen service members and be sure to tell your friends and family how much they mean to your life each day.  I hope that you take a day to reach back in to your past and learn to honor those memories; may they bring you understanding and solace. 

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     Thanks for checking out Forcing The Issue.  If you have any suggestions on ways to reminisce about “old times” or honor loved ones, please leave a comment below.  I would love to learn new ways to slow down and look back at the years as they drift over the edge of the horizon...