A young patriot salutes heroes at the 2009 National Memorial Day Concert on the West Lawn of the United States Capitol. See more at Army.mil (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Reprinted from the May 27th post at my blog A Few Words:
In the United States Memorial Day is a day when we give honor to those who have helped keep our nation free and to preserve our way of life. Many have died and made tremendous sacrifices fighting for the ideals upon which this great country was founded.
This week-end we give thanks to all the men and women who died for our freedom. We should also remember to thank the founding fathers who set the course for our nation. Thanks could also be offered for the inventors and creators who made our country an innovator that contributed to the betterment of our lives and made the U.S. an economic leader. And let us not forget the teachers, medical personnel, clergy, and all of those in the public and private sector who make our country run smoothly and provide for a safe, secure, and comfortable living environment.
Then we should remember all of the responsible and dedicated parents, grandparents, family members, and neighbors who give us support and sense of community. Perhaps we need to thank everyone in this great country for what good they have done or what they are capable of doing one day. And a thanks to all of our friends in other nations who stand behind us.
Thank God for the freedom and prosperity we have in the United States of America.
Have I forgotten to thank anyone? Who do you think deserves a deep expression of gratitude?
25 comments:
So good of you to pay tribute to the soldiers like this Lee, here's hoping it's a great Memorial Day for all the soldiers.
A wonderful tribute to all the soliers Lee. We commemorate in November. Have a great day.
Yvonne.
I'm thankful for blogs, I find out more about what's on in the world than I ever do from the news. It's been fascinating seeing all the comments online about Memorial Day.
It's great to be free. It's great to write from your heart without worry of being thrown into prison.
Happy Memorial Day!
Very well said Lee, I can't add to that list, you have said it all. We do that in November over here :)
You touched on this one but I think a specific mention is in order for volunteers. I know so many Red Cross volunteers who used their paid vacation or took leave without pay to spend weeks at disaster sites, enduing long hours and terrible conditions, just to help those in need. Of course, this isn't limited to disaster volunteers. Every day, all over the country, volunteers give of themselves meeting needs that might otherwise go unmet. So to them I say, Thank you.
Amen! There are a lot of people who've made sacrifices for our country.
Thanks to all of you for your comments so far and for your great additions to the list. I'm thankful for blogging and bloggers and for those people who volunteer to do things, which sadly I'm not usually one of them as much as I should be.
Lee
I'm all about gratitude during this time. I hope everyone is as thoughtful as you are about what this three day break from work means. Without those men and women who sacrificed their lives, we might not have the freedom to celebrate anything.
Thank you for your post.
i think you remembered them well
Amen...a great post for all of our military personnel as well as their families for supporting their choices. Have a memorable Memorial Day!
A great reminder that we cannot take our liberty for granted! We went to a local VFW Memorial service during which a Omaha Beach survivor spoke. Shaking his hand was a privilege.
As I just finished my delicious M. Day burger, I'm feeling extremely grateful to outdoor grill manufacturers. :)
Wonderful tribute! Hope you had a great Memorial Day!
I couldn't agree more Lee. I, too, have posted about our military today.
We must ALWAYS acknowledge and admire their sacrifice for keeping our country safe.
Freedom isn't free. Our men and women in the military have paid the ultimate price. Thank you for your post.
C.Lee-- What you say is so true.
Lynn-- Thanks for your comment.
Tracy -- My wife and I had a quiet restful day spent mostly at home.
Susan -- Every year there's less of those fellows around.
Scarlett -- My wife and I grilled a burger today on our rickety 14 year old grill. At least it still works and the burgers were delicious.
Michael -- I'm glad someone is willing to serve.
Ladydragonfly -- Someone always has to foot the bill.
Lee
That was a great tribute Lee!
Mi mind is too full and there seems to be little room for gratitude, but I tried.
I'm with ya' on all of the above. So thankful...
We should all pay tribute to the good people who came before us and gave the ultimate sacrifice to maintain freedom. No matter what country we live in. I was born in Australia, and now live in U.K., the country of my ancestors.
As always, I am thankful to all of my readers who take the time to leave comments and to those who don't comment but stop by.
Lee
A fantastic tribute to all. My heard has always been touched by this real holiday since my dad was air born on the front lines in Vietnam. He lost so many friends, he's carried the war in his eyes for all his days. He still smiles, laughs, and jokes, but the haunting remains.
God bless America and all the sacrifices our men and women make for our freedom.
Can't think of anyone else but if we could only learn to live shoulder to shoulder without disagreement then we would have no need to go to war in the first place.
Great reminder post Lee! Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our day to day lives, we forget the sacrifices that were made to provide our freedom. Thank you!
Thanks for the additional comments.
Lee
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