Memorial Day Weekend Is Not Just About Time Off
It's finally here: the weekend many of us have looked forward to for months. Memorial Day! Here in the U.S., we get Monday off (by the way, thanks to those of you who are working this weekend to help the rest of us have a happy holiday).
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Don't you just love Memorial Day Weekend? It's a time when many American families can spend time together enjoying the warmer weather we've been wishing for. You fire up the ol' barbecue grill. You dig around in the garage until you find those flying discs you put away last fall. You find the ball and gloves, and you get the kids out there to play catch in the back yard. You plant stuff in the garden and spiff-up your outdoor living space for a summer of fun. You take a drive. You take a walk. You smile and laugh and enjoy life!
Of course, at least in the back of your mind, you realize that this weekend is not just about fun time off. It's about honoring the fallen, especially the military heroes who've made this (and every) fun weekend possible by securing for us the "blessings of freedom" envisioned by our founding fathers.
You might make a trip out to the cemetery this weekend, especially on Monday, to visit the final resting place of a family member or two. We've become accustomed over the years to refresh our respects to all our dead relatives on the occasion of Memorial Day, and that's great. But don't forget to visit the grave of that uncle or grand-dad or sister who fought (and maybe gave his or her life) in World War II, or Vietnam, or the Gulf Wars. Even if you weren't close, we all owe the fallen heroes in your family a great debt of gratitude. So drop by their graves too, if you can.
What else can you do to observe the original intent of Memorial Day?
Fly the flag. You can pick up an inexpensive Stars-And-Stripes (with pole) almost anywhere these days, even at the grocery store. If you don't have a mounting bracket out there on the front porch, install one. Get the kids to help you! It'll take you ten minutes, max, to get Old Glory up and flapping in the breeze. And you might as well get ready for a summer of patriotic holidays, from Flag Day to Independence Day to Labor Day.
Consider making a donation to an organization that supports the troops. One of the best ones out there is the Wounded Warrior Foundation, but there are many others. It won't kill you to send twenty bucks to the military support organization of your choice, and they could really use your help.
And don't forget to say "thanks for your service" to veterans and active-duty military folks you know (or meet). I like to hand out anonymous "thank you" cards to uniformed military personnel I see in public, especially in airports, and there're usually a few bucks inside each one. I like to buy those folks a drink, or a hamburger, and ease their travel a little. But sometimes, even a smile and a handshake is greatly appreciated.
Enjoy your weekend. Our fallen heroes would certainly want you to do that. And I hope you'll also spend a little time this weekend in observance, and that doing so will impart some inspiration to you that will last throughout the year. I coach entrepreneurs, folks who own a business, and other aspiring inspirational leaders in business... but you have to agree, the real inspirational leaders are the ones who gave the full measure of sacrifice on the battlefield so that we could live in a free society.
Here's to them.
by Michael D. Hume, M.S.