Happy Memorial Day

A long weekend, many are firing up the bbq's across the Nation, many are now hitting the roads to return to their homes after time with loved ones, time at the mountains or the beaches across the lands.  Millions have spent this weekend at wreath laying ceremonies in Washington D.C., standing on the sidewalks watching and hearing as Rolling Thunder rolled by solemnly once again to remember, to honor, to stand for those who have fallen in service to their country.  They have come from across the Nation on their bikes, gathering at the Pentagon, lining up and meeting at the Wall of the Vietnam Veterans with flags flying, with arms linked in a bond that will never be broken. 

Many will stop everything at 3pm for a moment of silence, to play "Taps" wherever they are, to visit graves, to send messages to friends in other states asking that they take flowers to the headstones on their behalf.  

Some Gave All ~ All Continue to give some.

Many spent the weekend with a cold beer and flood gates of memories, of times they were on the line fighting for our freedoms, our country, now still wondering at times how it was they escaped the ultimate price of their lives. So many more reminded of those times, those places, those situations that have been told to be a living hell like no other and at the same time, a time when they found a band of brothers and sisters like they will never know again.

Today, we salute the fallen... all over our lands those white stones in cemeteries, the niches for ashes of those who paid the ultimate price... their families that still miss them so and their potential lives and what could of been.

War continues, we continue to see and witness soldiers coming home in flag draped coffins, veterans coming home as wounded warriors, help being given to everywhere but home it seems. We continue to shake our heads, and if possible to cross the street to shake the hand of one who has served or is serving.

Seems those who lay in neat rows at Arlington probably didn't care when on the line if one was of a certain color, a certain party line... they were united for our country. We would be wise to take a lesson from that.
Maybe parties are places to go or to host, to have a grand time or not, but not a thing of division, of ugliness, of agendas to benefit one and deny the other while so many are left out of the mix for the greater good of our country.

Maybe it is time to thing larger, to live better, to be more in thankfulness as One Nation, remembering and honoring the fallen as we speak kinder, live better and get our men and women home where their boots can relax and concentrate on restoring the United States to the greatest country in the world united.

As you move into your Monday, may you dance harder, pray stronger, laugh louder, be kinder.
Fly your flag and remember while thinking you have it so hard, there are so many  millions who laid down their lives so that we can stand together united as America. 
Salute: