MEMORIAL DAY

     Today we honor our soldiers and express gratitude for their service and courage. We remember those who have died in the effort. We fly flags and feel loving patriotism for America. We have barbeques and welcome the warmth of summer and longer days of light. We swim in pools. We watch parades and children scramble after candy thrown from squealing fire trucks. We overeat and linger outdoors late in the day. We enjoy time off from work.
     Memorial day makes me think about my sister, who was born on May 27th, and died twelve years ago, always fighting something. And it makes me think about the larger implication of being a soldier. We have all fought wars, haven't we? Some of them within ourselves, some of them with our family members or our spouses. We have fought with our children over bedtime and adolescence. We have fought addictions to food and shopping and nicotine and caffeine. We have fought growing old, getting fat, honesty, time and all of our fears. We have fought to prove we are right and fought just to fight. We have fought for our rights and fought for our peace. We watch others fighting with curious fascination and are quick to leap to our own defense. Perhaps we are all veterans of something.
     In memory of our own wars and our own courage, as well as those who have served our country all these years, let's decide not to fight today. Let's rest from fighting. Let's make today about the declaration of peace.

Let me live today with a peaceful heart.