To Honor a Memory

copyright Canon23 - Dreamstime

Today is a day to stop and remember. To set aside work and worries and troubles, and simply remember.

Today is Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is a national holiday intended to honor and remember the men and women who died in the service of our nation. This holiday was originally called Decoration Day, possibly in acknowledgement of the women who decorated graves of soldiers prior to the end of the Civil War. Throughout the world, the poppy has become a symbol of remembering the dead, and is often sold on or near Memorial Day (or other similar days of remembrance in other countries) in an effort to raise money for those families who were widowed and orphaned through such losses.

In December of 2000, a resolution was passed called the National Moment of Remembrance. This resolution requests that all Americans take a moment of silence for remembrance at 3PM local time on Memorial Day. This silence is intended both to honor the soldiers who died in service and be reminded of the true purpose of Memorial Day (which is not, in fact, to allow you a day off of work).

More information on Memorial Day can be found here.

If you see someone selling poppies today, take a moment to remember it's meaning. Are you willing to spare some change to help a family who has lost someone they love?

As you pause today to remember the sacrifice made by these men and women and their families, I would also like to encourage you to remember the sacrifice made by your Creator. He loves you, He died for you, and He lives so that you may also live. Take some time today to be thankful.

Want to do more to help others? Visit my Etsy shop or read this article to learn about one way.