Freewrite 26 May 2007

With Memorial Day approaching I can’t stop and wonder what has become of this wonderful holiday. As a young child I remember spend what seemed like hours at the cemetery placing flowers on ancestors’ graves. At the time it seemed extremely boring and I could never wait until we went and played at the park. I wonder however if many people even think about their deceased on Memorial Day. Understandably many people are limited in paying their respects because they live far away from where their ancestors are buried or other such circumstances. I am however reminded of a friend whose family was in just such a situation. When said that her family would go to the graveyard and put flowers on graves that had none and thus spend at least some time commemorating those who passed on before. I am not suggesting Memorial Day be like the old European holidays in which all day was spent at graves and in sorrow because they were "respecting" the dead. I am however suggesting that Memorial Day like many other holidays is now an excuse to fish, swim or barbeque with little thought as to the significance of the holiday. I currently am at just such a crossroad. My parents are currently away on a cruise. I have come home to Idaho Falls to be with my brothers and sister over the weekend. I am the oldest and feel a great question as to what we should do this Memorial Day. Should we go back to the cemetery as we always have done or just stay home because there will be no one home to care. Do poor teenagers and a college student go buy flowers for the dead or just stop by to pay our respects? The question is up for debate and in such a day where the traditional feeling of Memorial Day is waning this question may have implications on how a generation younger then I honors and respects their forbearers.