This header image centers on a montage of two photos against a backdrop that shows part of a US flag. In the upper left is an inset photo of a military graveyard in autumn at sunrise or sunset, with rows and rows of white headstones surrounded by autumnal color and glowing backlit leaves. At lower right Is a partial view from behind a United States Marin in a dress uniform, saluting a different military graveyard, this one seen in soft focus beyond his arm and gloved hand. The words say, “To Those who Courageously gave their lives . . . And those who bravely fight today . . . THANK YOU.” Image courtesy of Memorial Day Image.com.
Gratefully remembering

Gratefully remembering

Artdog Quotes of the Week for Memorial Day

Sometimes it’s hard to gratefully remember important things. Such remembering requires that one stop and take stock. Such gratitude requires a certain humility.

All too often, gratefully remembering the sacrifices of others is hard to do. In the midst of busy, hectic lives, it requires that we acknowledge there are more important things than our own concerns.

Sometimes it’s hard to feel anything but overwhelmed. As I write this in 2019, the month has been fraught and frantic for me. Two different family members suffered life-threatening illnesses. I’ve spent a lot of hours chatting with tech support personnel about hitches and glitches that came with the relocation of this website to its own dedicated server.

May also was a two–convention month. All the pressures, deadlines, and preparation required to kick off another summer’s book-and-art tour tend to cluster at the beginning. When else?

But remembering–and remembering gratefully–is important. It’s a vital piece of how we understand ourselves in relation to our world, our community, and our relationships. It’s so important that we’ve officially set aside a day for it.

This square design centers on a photo of old-fashioned photographs and a closed pocket watch with a hibiscus design on it, rendered in gradations of gold and violet. The words say, “Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.” – Arthur Schopenhauer. Courtesy of “funeralOne.”
See Credits below.

What do We Gratefully Remember?

In general, we Americans don’t like to think about death. It’s a part of life, but one of the most painful ones. It’s frightening. Thinking about death inevitably brings us a breath closer to dealing with our own mortality, and a great many of us would rather do almost anything than think about that! We’d far rather follow whatever frenzy has caught us up, and not think at all about death.

But Memorial Day is not just a day for picnics (weather permitting). It’s not only a time for family gatherings, or swimming pool openings, or barbeque. Nor is it only for decorating graves, fireworks, concerts, or marching in parades. We associate all of those things with Memorial Day.

The brave defenders of our liberty, the ones whom we gratefully remember on Memorial Day, live within us when we enjoy our freedoms. But we must never forget that freedom doesn’t come for free.

This square design centers on a photo of two people’s hands clasped, rendered in gradations of purple and turquoise blue. The words say, “Death end a life, not a relationship.” – Mitch Albom. Courtesy of “funeralOne.”
See Credits below.

Remembering the Price of Freedom

Memorial Day is a day for gratefully remembering those who actually did die. It’s a day to confront the reality that without costly sacrifices, we might have none of the freedoms we enjoy.

Those open-air concerts, those parades, those delicious meals, might not be possible if we did not live in freedom and peace. Those beloved family members might be scattered or lost.

We should gratefully remember that we have a bond of love and honor, an important relationship with those fallen ones. They paid dearly for the freedoms we enjoy. It is our own honor–not theirs–that we stain and trample and besmirch when we forget.

Let us never forget them. But also . . .

This square design centers on a photo of a red, white, and blue “pinwheel” design patchwork quilt. Across the quilt, the words say, “Greatness is not in what you have, it’s in what you give. To those who gave their all: We thank you. Memorial Day.” Design by Bonie K. Hunter, Quiltville.com.
See Credits below.

Principles and the Whole Constitution

As we gratefully remember, let us likewise never forget the importance of the principles they stood for. Principles such as freedom and human dignity, opportunity for all. Principles such as balanced government and respect for the rule of law. And finally, the bedrock principle of respect for the people whose well-being those laws are supposed to protect.

Let us remember the whole Constitution, not just our favorite parts. Let us remember the sacred importance of treaties. Likewise, let us remember that it shouldn’t matter what we look like. It must not matter what our spiritual beliefs are (including the right to have alack thereof). And finally it absolutely must not matter where we came from, or how recently. America together, all of us — all — have a stake in the experiment that is our country.

Every generation inherits the obligation to honor those concepts. As we gratefully remember, we all must remember that our unity-in-diversity is what brings our nation to vibrant life.

At the center of this square, red, white, and blue design is a horizontal photo of a United States flag blowing in the wind against a blue sky with puffy white clouds. The words say, “Memorial Day. Remember and Honor.” Design courtesy of News of Mill Creek, via City of Edmonds, WA.
See Credits below.

IMAGE CREDITS

Many thanks to Memorial Day Image.com, for the “Thank You“ header image. First of all, thank you to Funeral One, for the illustrated Schopenhauer and Albom quotes. Thank you, Bonnie K. Hunter and your Quiltville.com website, via Memorial Day Image.com, for the quilt-backed expression of Memorial Day’s purpose. Finally, I am grateful to News of Mill Creek and the City of Edmonds, WA, for the “Memorial Day Remember and Honor” image.

Comments are closed.