THE GREATEST MEMORIAL

When I was a young boy I knew Memorial Day meant people came together

to remember…to commemorate…to pray…

but back then I did not understand the true meaning of the day.

To young me it was just another holiday…school was out and that meant fun was in…

It wasn’t until I grew up a little I would come to realize just how wrong I’d been.

In high school and college since I was never called to fight…and it was a different time

I hated everything about war…to me it had no reason…I could not find the rhyme.

Over the years, however, as time has slowly left her signature on me

I have come to see Memorial Day…oh so differently.

I have a learned some valuable lessons…in many ways self-taught…

How I can still hate war as much as I ever did…

but respect and love and cherish all the people who have fought.

I’ve learned most people in the world also hate war just as much as me.

I’ve learned people fight and die in war so people like me, who never fought, can be free.

I’ve learned Memorial Day is a day we, as a country, put all our differences aside

as we come together to commemorate all our soldiers who have died.

I’ve learned the soldiers who die in wars, no matter what color skin… 

whether they were straight or bi or gay…

whether they were men or they were women…

they all died anyway.

I’ve learned even though they blended on the battlefield…

even though they suffered the same fate

many of us who they fought for…still discriminate…and hate.

So one of the prayers I choose to pray on Memorial Day 

is that…when this Memorial Day is through…

those of us who still hate…still discriminate…will have changed our point of view.

So as we commemorate our fallen soldiers with red, white and blue…

with cakes and parties on our patios outside….

Wouldn’t peace and love in the country they fought for 

be the greatest memorial

for all our soldiers who have died?