Monday, May 30, 2011

Happy Memorial Day

Good morning everyone! I hope you are enjoying their day off today! It's nice to have another day without work, and some extra qt to spend with my hubby before the real madness of this coming week ensues. I know a lot of you are spending this day with your families maybe on a beach or by a pool- which is where we're headed shortly- but there are a lot of people today that are spending time with their families remembering those who have lost their lives defending our country.
I don't think I fully understood the value of our armed forces until the attacks of September 11th. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I first heard of the attacks in New York and Pennsylvania. I was 15 and I think at an age where I could really appreciate the gravity of the situation. Memorial Day is a day in which we're asked to remember the lives of men and women that have been lost defending our country. Not a day goes by that I don't think about how many lives have been lost since that September and not a day goes by that I don't feel like they died protecting me, personally. I think every man and woman that joins the military, or serves as a fire fighter, or police officer would like for us to be able to feel personally protected. Today honors those lost in all wars, all battles, all instances of normal operations gone wrong. Being from the South I feel like we're raised with this thick Patriotism in our blood. I'm not saying we love America more than people from up North or out West- but where else do you find thousands of people who commit all their free time to reenacting battles from a war that was lost on our side? (the Civil war, of course) Memorial Day originated as a holiday to honor the fallen of the American Civil War, in fact, the first instance of Memorial Day being observed was in Charleston, South Carolina where freed slaves honored their brothers who lost their lives fighting for freedom.
So that's what we do today. All across the nation we honor our brothers, husbands, fathers, uncles, wives, daughters, sisters, and comrades who were brave enough to dedicate their lives for our freedom. I hope today that families all over the world who have their military members at home with them are doing what most of us are doing today and spending time with family maybe at the beach or pool and really embracing that quality time they have- the freedom we have to enjoy ourselves a little bit. To those people for who today is a somber reminder of a loved one lost- I hope you know that America is mourning with you, celebrating their lives with you, and will forever be proud and grateful with you.

Have an awesome day, y'all! Love, Layne

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