Memorial Day

Today was a really nice day. Ricky and I went to visit my dad at his apartment. We cooked fajitas and swam in the pool. With it being memorial day, I was off but it wouldn't have mattered. I would have been off by default because I don't work Mondays. We played volleyball, got our eyes filled with chlorine and ate too much. :-)

Memorial day usually is not taken very seriously. Most people see it as a way to party and vacation. I certainly understand that. At church yesterday, the pastor mentioned the purpose of the holiday and why we observe it. Those people who fight for our freedoms every day should be honored and remembered with dignity. Some of the activities that take place on this holiday does not do that. I am talking about getting way too drunk and not having any regard for others. The pastor said that we have freedoms that other countries do not have. Until recently that has been true. However if you talk about what you worship in the work place, you find yourself in the office facing your boss and hearing a stupid lecture on why its not okay. It is still an improvement from those countries that have oppression of religion, but if we keep it up, we will end up like that and all the fighting for our freedom would be for nothing. As it is we are taking prayer out of schools, talking about removing "In God We Trust" off of dollar bills and altering what we say at Christmas time. I understand that not everyone worships the same as we do but we are throwing up Kwanza and Chinese New Year like pennies. Then it comes Christmas time and oh no, Don't say it! I certainly don't like to speak politics but this is how I feel about our oppression that keeps seeping into our culture. So our military is fighting and risking our lives but if it keeps up, it will be a lost cause.

I did not come from a military family but my friends and family have relatives that have served our country. Ricky's grandfather fought the Japanese in World War 2. My best friend Sarah has her boyfriend in the navy, her brother who is serving right now, and her father who was in the past. My friend Beth got out of the navy 2 years ago. Ricky's cousin is in the air force. There are many more people that I probably could name. They all deserve the honor that this day is meant for. Some are still alive. Others have passed on. We hold them in our hearts and thank them for their time and sacrifice.

All of you who took your time away to keep our freedoms, we thank you. God bless you in everything you do.