MEMORIAL DAY

Memorial Day is a very special day! A special day of commemoration that has been set aside so that we may honor and pay tribute to persons and events that we, individually and collectively, hold very dear to our heart. To put it simply we say thanks to the beloved people that sacrificed their lives so that we may continue to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave!

No nation on earth has more heroes or heroines! No other nation has sacrificed more lives, more blood, more sweat, more tears to preserve freedom. We do this simply because we believe that each one of us is so unique and that each person should have the opportunity to reach for the stars and in so doing, help someone else along the way.

"Greater love hath no man, that he should lay down his life for a friend!" To those special people that gave the ultimate sacrifice upon the field of battle so that we might remain free, we pay special homage. The acute sorrow wanes into a deepened sadness as time passes, however the appreciation for their sacrifices grow keener with each passing year as we, the living, think of things that might have been!

When I was a boy the Memorial Day parade included the heroic veterans of the Civil War, the Spanish-American War and World War I. Today, the parade only includes the heroic veterans of World War II, the Korean War, Vietnam and Desert Storm. So you see, the persons and events to which we pay tribute is forever changing. Therefore it is generally limited to people or events that still linger in the memory of the living. Thus, each generation selects it’s own set of heroes! The older ones fall by the wayside and join the cold gray pages of the history books, while newer heroes march in the current parade.

Tom Brokaw, NBC news anchor in his new book The Greatest Generation pays tribute and honor to those of us who faced, fought and defeated the satanic evils of powerful rogue nations that sought to enslave the entire world during World War II. In his book Mr. Brokaw claims that this was the greatest generation of all time. As a student of history I tend to agree! No generation has stood taller or understood the meaning of duty, honor and country better. We are the only generation that can count our heroes in the millions. I can truly say that this generation exemplifies the nobility of humankind as no other generation in history ever has and I am proud to have been a part of it!

On this special day, while observing and taking part in a tribute to our national heroes we should also take the time to reminisce the past and to honor our own private individual heroes. Those special people, friends and relatives that have always reached out, touched and changed our lives.

So we should remember

A steadfast father who recognized the dignity of each individual thus leaving behind an unmatched legacy and heritage of truth, trust and honor.

A mother, whose portrait is destined for a special place of honor and as the main attraction in the exhibit hall in Mother’s Hall of Fame.

A sister or a brother, who would fight you like cats and dogs, yet stand by you through thick and thin, no matter what.

A loving spouse with whom you have walked hand in hand through the worst of times and the best of times!

Sons and daughters who walk as tall as their grandparents and in the meanwhile add to our proud heritage as they pass this legacy on to our grandchildren.

A teacher who made you feel that you were so very special and challenged you to do your very best. A teacher you could not disappoint!

A handful of true friends, that you can trust, completely.

And of course, you remember your first love! That never, ever goes away – not completely!

We cannot reminisce the past without anticipating the future. So at day’s end, we kneel in some quiet place and pray. We pray that when the time comes for us to enter the pages of the history books never to march in the parade again, our people will turn to our own special Hero. The one who led the greatest generation through the valley of the shadow of death and destruction and found our promised land. It is therefore fitting and appropriate on this special day to give Him the honor, the glory and the praise!

HERO

Samson slew the Philistines; Noah made an ark.
David slew Goliath; Jacob wrestled in the dark.
Jonah rode within a whale; Alexander conquered all.
Columbus found a whole, new world! Hitler saw his world fall.
Lee fought a losing cause; Napoleon met his Waterloo.
Lincoln freed the slaves; and Cochise counted coup!

I’ve read the feats of mighty men that have trod the paths of time,
With deeds of saintly godliness, and acts in violent crime.
From Adam to my own kind sire, all tried to fill a need.
The good intent within their souls was squelched by selfish greed.
Then judgement came collecting toll, due-billed from up above.
And can only be marked "Paid in Full" when sealed in God’s true love!

I was searching for a hero, a person large as life.
Unstained by vengeful violence, not marred by war and strife.
I searched for men in every tribe that have sailed the seven seas.
Or stamped a page in history books with big I’s and larger Me’s!
With one exception, all were marked with ego’s tainted gloss.
I was searching for a hero and I found him on a cross!