Today is a day to remember those who fell in service to our country, but I do not believe the ghosts of those who gave their lives would begrudge you your barbecues and parties.
So enjoy your holiday. Feast on burgers, ribs, and steaks. Play frisbee in the park. Go to the beach or pool if the weather permits and that’s what you want to do. But take a moment sometime during the day to remember those who passed. Raise a toast to those who made the ultimate sacrifice so that you could have the freedoms you enjoy today.
Absent friends.
In Flanders Fields
John McCrae, 1872 – 1918
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place, and in the sky,
The larks, still bravely singing, fly,
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead; short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe!
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high!
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
The Writer in Black 