Monday Memorial Day 2018

Gramma and Grampa Wolz and Baby Sasha

Today was spent with family and memories.  This morning was spent with the continued operation at the Wells Family of "clean out" before everyone arrives to celebrate Myah's graduation.  Boxes kept going out to recycling,  bags were loaded for confidential shredding, and a few larger pieces got put in the truck to be taken away.   In between we sipped tea and coffee and Sasha baked very very good croissants from Williams Sonoma.  We watched the National Finals Lacrosse game and I learned a little more about the game.  Myah took her language placement test, and scored so high that her next step was to get in touch with the department head about appropriate class level to take1  Luke was procrastinating about one of his last assignment and all was well. 

On and off I thought about Memorial Days of the past and what it means today.  The picture above is of my step grandparents.  Aggie and Leo.  Aggie was very active in the Mother's auxillary and I remember her wearing her white (uniform like) dress with starched handkerchief, her hair done just right and marching in the Memorial Day parade.  I marched in the color guard of the band and my brother Bob played the saxophone.  Aggie was proud that her only son was a veteran, stationed in Alaska during the Korean War.  We all marched proudly some of us not really understanding what the day meant and why we did so on this day.  We were a grade school band in a small village where mostly everyone marched or stood along the streets and waved flags and clapped as we went by.

That was the 50's and early 60's.  Then it became not about the wars of the past, but being in the beginning of a brand new war,  this one we had televisions to show us what was happening in Vietnam, Washington DC and in the streets. 

I have written poems about Memorial Day, about hero's , about sacrifice and service.  I have been moved by speeches made by our presidents on this day, and today was disgusted and so very very disheartened by the speech and acxions of the current man in office. 

Freedom, we always talk about fighting for freedom, and sometimes we remember to say AND fighting for democracy.

Today I thought often of the men and women who have sacrificed in through their service,  showing up to defend democracy.  To let a football player "take a knee"  to allow me to carry a sign outside the food coop opposing a consolidation move.  Who talked about the fragility of democracy of Memorial Day,  I am sure many have and it was just that I didn't remember, or maybe they didn't.  But today I am thinking about how precious democracy and truth are to us as a nation of peoples.  How it is a continued struggle to form a more perfect union.  How important it is to find our way to be "of service" to freedom here at home, not just away at war.

Yes,  I am still on my spring trip, the adventures are internal as well as along the road. 

As I am winding down on this Monday, the last Monday I will be in Minnesota for this trip, I am letting that question roll in my head and heart - How do I serve freedom today?