Some Gave All.....

It's Memorial Day, and for a whole lot of you, that really just means a 3-day weekend from your job.  Or, it means that the public pools have opened, so you can go get all wrinkly.  Or, it means you headed off somewhere to get a few days worth of camping in, since this is probably the last decent weekend we'll have for the summer.

While all of those things are technically true, there are far too many people who forget or just plain don't understand what Memorial Day really means.

Folks, this is the day we give thanks to the men and women who paid the ultimate price so we can continue to live in the greatest country on earth.

Forget about politics for a minute, and forget about your opinion of war, because I REALLY get pissed off when people can't get over themselves long enough to just pay homage to those who deserve it.  As a matter of fact, I just read comments from people sniping at President Obama for his comments made to celebrate fallen soldiers today.  Really?  You're gonna get political today?  Two words for you:  SHUT UP!!!!!

Now, I'm on record as having TONS of respect for those who've decided to dedicate their lives and careers to protecting my fat ass, but I think we also need to make sure we remember those who gave their lives for that same thing. 

Want to know how you can do it?

If you've got a fallen soldier in your family, go to the cemetery today and visit the grave.  Clean it off, plant a small flag, and tell your kids (or spouse, if they don't know) stories about that individual.  Don't have a fallen hero in your family?  Go to the cemetery anyway.  Find a grave (or two) with flags planted in them, and check the dates.  When you go back home, look up the date of death and see what war that soldier was involved in, and see what their sacrifice was really all about.

Now, the amount of time you spend at the cemetery is entirely up to you.  For some, I know being there gives them the willies.  For others, however, it provides peace and solace. Whatever works for you.

One more thing you MUST do today:  Make sure your kids understand what Memorial Day is TRULY all about, and make sure they understand WHY they need to take some time on this day every year.

And, when you run into an active-duty military person or a retired soldier later on in the day, make sure to thank them.  If it wasn't for them, God only knows what foreign language we'd be speaking right now.