What Do You Remember?

What do you remember?  having an 88 year old Mom with Alzheimer's I realize how important and at time poignant question that can be.  Mom can't remember what she had for dinner last night, but she still remembers details about her childhood, and, fortunately, who her own children are.  Even her eight grandchildren.  She does get a bit fuzzy about the eleven great-grandchildren, and she may not even remember she has one great-great.

She probably can tell you who the president is, she's followed current events fairly closely over the last couple of decades, but I am not sure she knows who the VP is.  Memory is a fragile thing, and intentionally or not, often very selective.  I think that is part of the reason why we set aside certain days to remember important events and people.  Days like Memorial Day.

As many of my readers know, and others may have long since intuited, I am a pacifist.  I am opposed to war.  But I still think it is important for us to remember and honor those who made, as we call it, the ultimate sacrifice.  I think it is important for a variety of reasons, not least of which is that it is a regular reminder that war comes at a great cost.  Not just to the enemy.  Not just to our own nation.  But to real families just like yours and mine.  Moms and Dads, sons and daughters, husbands and wives, who can't forget, don't want to forget, their loved ones who died in battle, who died in service. Memorial Day can and should prompt us to ask, how many more lives must be given over to war?   It is certainly my hope that in those memories we can find the key to peace, for without days like today, we can too easily forget.