Memorial Days

What if our calendar didn't have any holidays. Would we be sad or glad? As for me, I'd be sad. What a wonderful thing holidays, birthdays, anniversaries are. That they are reminders (which we all need) is only a part of the equation.

I received from a long time friend who sent an email to FRIENDS AND FAMILY thanking us for our service for Uncle Sam and the country we cherish so much. I was honored to reply and it triggered another memory of my discharge from the Navy about 67 years ago. No, I was not a hero but that experience was one of the greatest events in my life as I look back.

So, am I thankful for Memorial Days? You better believe it. I just forwarded a message from my wife who was invited to a baby shower with regrets that she couldn't attend. A baby shower for an unborn child. But what a wonderful celebration of the coming birth of a child who fortunately will undoubtedly have many birthday celebrations.

June will bring attention to fathers. Do they need special attention? You better believe it. Being a father is one of the most important, sacred, demanding roles a father can e. Just like mothers, we all need a reminder now and then how fortunate we are to be parents and how quickly time passes, hopefully with fewer regrets than precious memories.

I was born on Halloween. Of course, this was not of my doing but it made my birthday a bit awkward at times with trick 'n treaters but it also made it quite memorable. And still does. I had to surrender my driver's license recently and the recipient smiled and said, “A halloween baby, huh?” An 85 yer old baby. Wow.

There are attempts to make some holidays more convenient like placing them together (e.g. Lincoln and Washington) as President's Day. Frankly, I kind of enjoyed celebrating both presidents and find it more difficult to honor them all at one time. We also have special occasions tacked on to Mondays to give three-day holidays which does have merits of its own, supposedly.

Soon we will celebrate the Fourth of July with lots of picnics, firecrackers and more, but especially we not only celebrate our nation's birth often with friends and family as well. With these and countless other celebrations, anniversaries, holidays and the like, let's celebrate the fact that we can and do celebrate. And lets do it well, and often.