I recently read a Marianne Williamson book that talked about holidays and how in today’s world they are not really honored and celebrated the way they were meant to be. She touched on each one and for Memorial Day she said that it has become more about bbq’s and mini vacations then it has about remembering our soldiers. As I look on Facebook, I see several status updates reminding us of the true reason for the holiday.
Often times when I am watching the news and see images of war, I am completely detached. It plays like a movie and although my mind knows it’s real, I can’t seem to feel what one ought to feel. Mostly I think the media in America shields us from the most grotesque and raw images. The pictures we are shown are not much different from what Hollywood shows us on the big screen. I can’t imagine myself in those scenes. It is something, I believe, one must experience to understand the true impact of.
Over the years though, I have watched various programs about soldiers. I watched the PBS show Carrier that was a reality show that documented men and women living and working on an aircraft carrier. A week or two ago I watched a Frontline episode about men who returned from Iraq and committed terrible crimes (arguably b/c of their PTSD) that landed them in prison. It is this kind of documentation that allows me to understand the sacrifice of our soldiers. It is one thing to see the quick flashes of war and quite another to hear a soldier tell his or her own story. There are so many emotions and so much pain. I’m sure many learn to push it down, cover it up, but it is there. Our soldiers and their families sacrifice so much for the freedoms we enjoy. They sacrifice for me so that I can write this blog.
So today I want to truly honor the purpose of Memorial Day. I want to send out my gratitude to those who have served for this country and for my freedoms. We are lucky to have people willing to do this job for us.
On this day I invite you to click on the link below and take 25 minutes to watch the episode of NOW provided. It should open your heart a bit and allow you to feel true compassion for our service men and women!
http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/547/index.html