By definition, Memorial Day is a day set aside to express thanks to those who have served and to offer condolences for those who have been lost or have died. It is a day for remembering, celebrating, and commemorating. Celebrating freedoms that have been won, remembering times of trouble where freedom was lost, and commemorating the people who have sacrificed so that we can have those freedoms. As Americans, we have so many privileges and rights and pleasures that have resulted from those who have gone before us, paving the road to those very ends. I confess that I often take for granted the comfortable American life that I live, not paying enough attention or giving enough credit to the people who have made this comfort a possibility.
Hanging in my dining room there are 2 pictures; one is a picture of my grandpa in his army uniform, the other is a picture of my grandpa in the same uniform accompanied by my grandma in a stylishly matching hat and jacket. My grandpa handed down values of working hard, family loyalty, saving for the future, telling stories so the past was not forgotten. What strikes me about the picture of my grandparents together is that my grandmother was not as praised for her contribution to "war time" because she wasn't directly signed up. But I bet you she worked just as hard and long and well as my grandpa. I remember her being so sweet and kind; always offering a hug and cooking something yummy to eat. She loved to read, garden, and set up knick-knacks around her house... Wait... that sounds like me! I love to read, I love to garden... and well... knick-knacks moset certainly do line the shelves around my house. While my Grandpa influenced the broader scope of freedom that is in my life because of his military service, I feel like I have my Grandmother to thank for the individual influence that was handed down. She was always one to have beauty around her. She decorated her home with pillows on the couch and pretty dishes in the cupboard. My grandma loved to write letters and always had a steno-pad on her desk with a letter that she was just about to start or an envelope just sealed with a flag stamp in the right hand corner, ready to be mailed off to whomever she was corresponding with. Grandma was soft spoken until her favorite football team was on the tv, or if you made the grave mistake of touching her propped up feet while she watched Wheel of Fortune. I also remember how Grandma paid attention to the people that were in her house. She would look you in the eye and just sit on the couch and enjoy sitting with you. I never knew if my grandma had money but I remember that she made others feel rich just from being with her. She always had perfectly folded sheets that she would get out to put on the sofa-beds when we got there; the pretty pile of linens always made me feel so at home. Two of my favorite memories are sitting on the porch with my grandparents on a hot summer night, enjoying silly stories told by my grandpa and wanting to stay and feel the loving presence of my grandma for just 5 more minutes. My love of an outdoor space to put up my feet and spend time with those I love was most assuredly been handed down from my grandma. Cute vintage outdoor chairs, Creamy Italian salad dressing, peonies, the smell of a delicious roast, and mismatched floral plates are all parts of my memory that connect me to my grandma.
Being like my grandma is a life-long pursuit of mine. Her gentle nature while at home, her hospitable ways, and her peaceful presence will be what I choose to remember, celebrate and commemorate today. While the holiday Memorial Day typically focuses on heroes of war, I will be in touch with my memorial to my grandma, one of my personal heroes, today. She raised a family of 4 kids plus my grandpa, she kept a tidy and beautiful home, she went to church, she made people feel loved, she took personal pride in things around her that she loved... such a beautiful life! Thank you, Grandma. I honor and remember the life that you lived, and desire to continue your legacy as the years continue to pass. My grandparents were my absolute favorite people on earth while they were here ( and I like to think that I was one of theirs as well!!) I miss them all the time, and if I could have an evening sitting on the porch with them, in their gliding chairs, it would be the most delightful thing. Because they have passed on, I will just remember, and be thankful for all that is in me that was handed down by them.
