Remembering the Fallen

A lot of people use the Memorial Day weekend as break from work to party, swim, cook out, and have fun. And this is OK for they are enjoying the freedoms and privileges that many have sacrificed themselves to give them.  Memorial Day is a day set aside to honor and remember those who fought and died upon the fields of battle. It is a day when we honor our friends and loved ones who have gone before. It is a difficult to over estimate the debt we owe to the proceeding generations who made the ultimate sacrifice so that we can  have what we have today. We are the heirs of all of the past ages. The blessings we now enjoy are due to the hard work, vision and sacrifice of all who have blazed the trail for us.

Many families today especially feel the pain of the loss of a loved one who has laid down his or her life in service to their country. Many who served and survived feel the pain of the loss of friends and buddies who died beside them. There are those who have sacrificed a great deal. Some with physical wounds that are easily seen, burns, missing limbs and scars. But there are also those whose wounds are not easily apparent. They suffer in silence, with emotional and spiritual wounds.

The experience and result of war is tragic for everyone involved. The very horrors of war, create an abhorrence of war for those who have experienced those horrors. Those who have not, expound upon the glory of war. But there is no glory in war. There is fear, death, survival and boredom. Yet there is an exhilaration and closeness to life found only in the mist of death and destruction that is not found anywhere else. And there is internal strife and conflict, but there is no glory in war.

Remember the fallen and be grateful for their sacrifice. But also remember those who survived and be thankful to them as well. For they too have sacrificed a great part of themselves because it was simply what they had to do. Grant them love, compassion, and understanding for what they have given but pity them not, for what they have given, they gave willingly. Help them to find the answers they seek through their faith. For they have looked into the very face of death to discover, even for a fleeting moment, the secret of life. Through terrible experiences they have touched creation and became one with the divine. Help them find their way back to making that connection so they will complete the transformation and find peace.