Memoria l Day 2021

 The USofA celebrated Memorial Day today.  Reports have it that this weekend  was a break-out after the many months of confinement.  Even with gas prices way up there, many people were said to have taken to the road.  I have not watched the news yet tonight--almost afraid to--hoping that everyone drove carefully and stayed safe.

Perfect weather here in Virginia, but no parade or air show.  It was a very quiet day at Joseph's Dream.  Few people even sat outside.  Several apartment dwellers had placed a small flag on a hook in their flower beds.  Several of us older gals sported out red, white and blue blouses.

I am certain almost everyone living here is either a  veteran him/herself or had members of their family who were.  Very few of us remember WWII.  My husband was in that war, stationed in England most of the time.  He was one of five boys in his family, every one of which joined up when Uncle Sam called.   

Bob died at 55 years old.  It had nothing to do with his time in the Army.  He was younger than all but one of the children have grown to be.  That is hard for me to put in place in my aging brain.  Today I have been thinking about his grave, way up in upstate new York, in the town where we lived.  And here I am, way down in the south. No one is there to put a wreath or plant flowers around his stone.  The local VFW does put a new little flag there each year.  My younger daughter who still lives in that area, went for several years and  placed an urn of flowers there.  But years pass, lives keep everyone rushing forward.  Time has a way of escaping the best-made plans.

I remember when we laid Bob there. The American Flag covering his casket was removed and carefully folded before it was placed in my arms.  I hugged that flag to my heart, as the casket was slowly lowered into the welcoming earth.  I still have that flag.  Though many times I have considered unfolding it to let it once again fly free, I have never done so.  It remains just as it was, now lying quietly in my china cabinet.  How much that flag meant, still means, to me.  It represents the country I knew growing up.  The truly united states of America that was the 40s, when we were so proud of the young men and women who offered themselves to save their country.

Today, amid the picnics and parties, the travel and freedom from Covid restraint, I hope people are remembering what this day is celebrating.  that they take a moment to say "I pledge allegiance to the flag--" in the name of all who fought in the many battles since the ones Bob saw, to preserve our way of life, our freedom, so that we may have those festivities still.