As this Memorial Day weekend begins, I think of family members who sacrificed, so that I could grow up free, happy and unfettered in this great nation of ours. There is my Uncle "Ham" who survived the battle of Midway, days of marching and a liftetime of "jungle rot" on his feet...a poignant reminder that I need to be a little tougher on myself...get out there and walk...no jungle rot, no crippling tropical heat, no excuses. I remember my great Uncle Bob who in a split second received shrapnel to the neck...a wounding which stayed with him the rest of his life...a man who had to kill or be killed...shooting a Japanese soldier and then taking the man's wallet and taking the time to return everything to the man's widow...be kinder, be softer, be tougher, follow through...think about others and take a long look at your smooth, unscarred neck...no complaining allowed. I think of my Father...drafted at 18 for two years of service as part of occupation forces in Japan...a gentle man, an artist...dragged out of his comfort zone to stomp around a foreign land, helping to keep things in order...postponing school and his life...yet, returning home...remember to be grateful, to thank and encourage people more, to get out there and grab life by the horns...no complaining and no laziness accepted, thank you.
I plan to enjoy this weekend. I will give thanks for the huge and wide variety of wonderful foods, available to me in a land of plenty...a land fought for at great price...a land where I still live unfettered. At the same time, I will be a controlled citizen...cherishing my health, my strength, my youth, my family and my joy. Happy Memorial Day!
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