My Memorial Day blog for 2016

I have previously written about the high esteem that I have for those who have given their lives in service to this country.  I’m so grateful that these individuals chose to lay down their lives to protect my rights as a citizen of the United States of America.  Such heroism humbles me to my core.  I honor and value the people who gave their lives on the battlefield for me.  Honoring their brave sacrifice is what Memorial Day is all about.

But there’s more for me to say this year than I have in previous years.  As you are well aware, my life has changed since last Memorial Day.  My father passed away very unexpectedly at the young age of 60.  Words like loss, suffering, and pain aren’t just words to me; they describe my life even to this very day.  Because of this major life event, my heart and mind is thinking more about the families who have to live every day without their loved ones.  Memorial Day is a mixed bag for these families.  On the one hand, they are so proud of the selfless heroism of their dearly departed loved one.  But on the other hand, Memorial Day is a very tough day for them, as they are reminded afresh of their loved one’s absence.

A few months ago, a coworker kindly gave me a book entitled “When You Lose Someone You Love” by Richard Exley.  One of the many things that helped me in this wonderful book is a citation that Exley gives from Joe Bayly; he said, “Death is a wound to the living.”  I don't think that you can really understand that quote until you’ve experienced loss firsthand.  But Bayly is absolutely correct; death is indeed a wound to the living.  You feel your loved ones absence in a myriad of ways.  You see the empty chair and you mourn again.  You hear their favorite song and you cry again.  You watch a TV show that you used to watch with them and grief washes over you.  It lingers on.

“Death,” Joe Bayly rightly says, “is a wound to the living.”  That’s why Memorial Day isn’t a jovial day of barbecuing or camping for the affected families; it’s a very bittersweet day.  So if you know someone who had a family member who gave their life for this country, make it a point to give them a word of encouragement and comfort on this day.  I know that they would greatly appreciate it.

Kevin