There is much to be grateful for this Memorial Day, don’t you think?
When I was a child, my small town commemorated this day with an annual parade along State Street. The procession ended at the local cemetery with a three-volley salute, which consisted of one gunshot each to represent duty, honor, and country. Then a trumpet bleated Taps, a tune I recognized from Girl Scouts as a sign for “lights out” at the end of the camp day. Taps at the cemetery, however, connotated lights out at the end of a life. Or more accurately, the end of many lives.
Back then, I definitely preferred the happier pageantry of the parade over the solemn ritual at the cemetery. Back then, I didn’t understand what the day was intended to mark. As an adult, I’ve come to better appreciate this day set aside to remember the veterans who gave their lives in duty, which differs from November’s Veterans Day, the day we celebrate all veterans, including those still living among us.
Official definitions aside, these days most of us celebrate Memorial Day as the official kickoff to summer. Personally, I don’t think this has to be contrary to remembering those who gave their all so we could have so much. The dilemma lies more in our getting so busy celebrating that we forget to pause and truly remember.
In a way, I see that failure to pause as an overarching symbol of life in May 2021. We’re so busy, busy, busy that we rarely stop to take a breath, let alone really slow down to contemplate the cycle of life going on around us. Especially as the pandemic winds down and the world tries to get back to normal, we don’t want to lose a minute. We’re making up for lost time.
Last month, I challenged some friends to get deliberate about taking a pause. I invited them to notice life through a different lens and to share what they saw. With their permission, I shared their creations in my April post. They bowled me over with the photos and haikus they sent. And some wowed me extra when they continued to share, even after April had passed.
In honor of their deliberate pauses, here are several more of some of their creations. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.
Finally, as I paused to enjoy these creations from friends, I discovered I had a new one myself. Here it is:
Perhaps that’s the best thing about taking a pause. It often leads to shaking up our creative selves to the point we feel slightly more alive. What better way to remember our war dead than by taking a delicious bite of life in honor of all they gave?
Personally, that’s the way I marked the day.
I hope today you also took time to pause...and that you've had a good Memorial Day.
~ J ~
