This year Memorial Day really dominates two weekends. The “legal” or “official” Memorial Day is the last Monday in May; this grants us a 3-day weekend. That’s 24-26 May. Traditional Memorial Day is 30 May, whatever day that it falls on; this year it’s Friday–giving us yet another Memorial Day weekend. Here in Grand Rapids, much of the celebration will be focused around the Traditional date. What’s important, though, is that all of us remember the reason for the holiday. On Memorial Day we should pause to remember the veterans of all services who have answered their last role call on this earth–they are the honored dead.br /br /In too many cases, the weekend is only a day camping or at the beach. Parents role-model for their children that Memorial Day is about picnics and the beach–not about remembering that Freedom Is Not Free. The price needs to be paid continuously or we will loose it. Let us all remember the reason for the day.
