I'm not sure I can remember such a cold and rainy Memorial Day. Yet, we, along a pretty decent crowd, were at Pinelawn Memorial Park for their service this morning. I've said it before but growing up, we would always look so forward to Memorial Day. My sister is the 4th generation President of the cemetery, so going there has always been a family tradition. Admittedly, the years we were in Chicago, we rarely made it to the services. But now that we are back, it's something we wouldn't miss. And considering the boys talked about it all weekend, it seems they are just as excited as I always was.
Despite the rain, to me, it was one of the best services yet. It started with bagpipes, which I think are super cool anyway. And then, H & C joined my niece and the office manager's daughter to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The keynote speaker was Jeff "Doc" Sinchak, who speaks on behalf of Wounded Warrior Project. Having a person stand in front of you, talking about what Memorial Day means to him, about being in the service, the struggles he's faced while serving his country as well as the effect it still has on him today was really, really was powerful. The wars he served in were ones the current generations can relate to. For many people, Memorial Day is simply a long weekend and the beginning of summer. For me too! But it's good to be reminded that it's so much more than that. If you are interested in doing something special this Memorial Day, consider making a donation to the Wounded Warrior Project.
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