Remembering them, for us.

Memorial Day is a special act of communal communication. Taking stock of war and sacrifice, we gather and focus our attention on the darkest aspects of life so that we might value and enjoy the brighter. With moments of reflection, we offer tokens of gratitude to those who gave all they had for all of us.

“The life of the dead is placed in the memory of the living.”

Marcus Tullius Cicero

Memorial Day is not really about the dead, who can no longer see our flags or hear our praise. It’s about reminding us to live, to be vigilant and to build a better future. Through our remembrance, we say two important things.

To those military men and women who continue to risk all in this dangerous world, we say, “We see you. We acknowledge all that you and your families are putting on the line. We honor your service. And we will never forget.”

To one another, we say, “Let’s be worthy. Let us continue to build a nation that is deserving of the highest sacrifice made by over a million Americans and their families. Let’s strive together toward our ideals. Let’s mirror our heroes.”

“Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.”

Elie Wiesel

Our featured image is photograph of the Vietnam Women’s Memorial.