The Poppy represents Remembrance Day in Europe and Canada. Memorial Day is, like Remembrance Day, a day to honor those who have died while serving in the Armed Forces. There is a famous poem, In Flanders Fields, written by John McRae in 1915:
In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
between the crosses, row on row….
Memorial Day has become a day for picnics and family get-togethers, a sign that summer is about to begin. Stores use it as a merchandising opportunity, a chance to display all sorts of summery things in the hopes that you’ll spend your money there. For most of us, myself included, the real meaning of the day has become somewhat lost. So many, too many to comprehend, have lost their lives serving our country. Though I know that sometimes wars need to be fought, far too many of them never needed to be. And the loss is devastating.
It doesn’t seem right to say “Happy Memorial Day.” If we were really honoring what this day is all about, I should think the day would be rather solemn and reflective. I’m wondering: Has the meaning behind Memorial Day changed to just another Monday holiday?
Those are my thoughts today. What are yours?
