My plan for your future is filled with hope!
Jeremiah 29:11
Memorial Day began as an opportunity for us to remember the service people who’d given their lives for this country. Whether drafted into service or enlisted by choice, each one fulfilled an obligation which he or she accepted to the end. Today, tens of thousands of flags decorate the graves of those who completed, as best they could, what they set out to do.
Today, our Memorial Day remembrances include all who’ve passed from this life to the next. Though they didn’t don military garb to endure the rigors of battle, those whom we mourn assumed roles of great importance to us. Whether our parent or spouse, our child, another family member or a friend, those we mourn fulfilled their roles in this life as best they could.
It occurs to me that, after we bid these final farewells, our memories focus less upon failures and more upon the happy and amusing and amazing times we shared with those loved ones. When we take the time to step back and to appreciate the full impact of our loved ones’ lives, their contribution to the Big Picture becomes more clear. So it is with gratitude -and sometimes forgiveness- that we wish our loved ones heaven’s joy.
As we remember our military personnel and all of the good people who have lived their lives for us, let’s smile between the tears. After all, God assures us that they have found joy in the hereafter and, one day, we will, too!
Thank you, Dear God, for the promise of eternal joy with you and for the loved ones with whom we will share it!
©2024 Mary Penich – All Rights Reserved
Mary Penich 
Happy Memorial Day!