If you get Monday off for Memorial Day, take some time to pay tribute to people you’ve loved and lost. It’s a day for remembering those who fought for our country, as well as those who made a difference in your life.
I have a friend who’s continuing a Memorial Day tradition his dad introduced him to. Bill’s dad always used to take him fishing, and while they were together, his dad told Bill stories about trips he’d taken with Bill’s grandfather. Bill’s dad passed on a few years ago, but Bill now takes his own son fishing every Memorial Day, and he uses the time with his boy to tell the youngster all about the great times he had with the boy’s granddad on the banks of the Big Horn River.
I think that’s a fantastic way to accomplish two things. First of all, it honors the memory of someone who is no longer around. And maybe more importantly, it creates instant memories that a young person will carry with him for the rest of his life. Not only that, but it gives the kid a reason to go fishing. That’s probably all Bill’s kid really cares about right now, and he probably wishes Bill would just pipe down and let him fish. But years from now, Bill’s boy will have a son or daughter of his own, and he’ll have plenty of great memories to pass along to the next generation.
If you don’t have someone to go fishing with Monday, go fishing anyway. Use the peace and quiet to reflect on the people who fought for our freedom, as well as those who helped make you who you are. In some ways, I think memories can be just as good company as another real person.
Whatever you do on Monday, make it count. Three-day weekends don’t come around as often as we’d like them to, much like those special people we honor with Memorial Day. They’re scarce; so when one comes around, don’t take it for granted.
