Remembering…

Summer holiday weekends generally for me have been a time of catching up on things around the house. Spring is generally a busy time for me with yard work and family birthdays and mothers/fathers day dinners. I’ve tried to take the extra days of the holiday weekends for myself to compensate.

Yesterday while eating a bite of breakfast over the local newspaper I happened upon the Memorial Day parade invite and other articles about the day and was moved to take action. For the first time since I was a very young child I went to the Memorial Day Parade in town.

Having never been to one before in my memory, I had no idea what to expect. What I found moved me too. There were Veterans from WWII, Korea, and Vietnam—riding in old cars with a sign on the car letting you know in which war they served, some marched too and as they passed the crowd clapped and clapped and clapped! It was amazing.

There were local High and Junior High School and The American Legion bands playing patriotic songs. People were decked out in red, white and blue. There were flags waving and being handed out to anyone who wanted one which I gladly took. The mood reflected the wonder of these men and women who so selflessly served. They amaze me.

This year with the Vet’s getting treated so poorly at our hospitals that are supposed to be there to serve them I wanted them to know they are in fact not forgotten. It was important to me not to enjoy one more cup of coffee sitting in my home thinking of what they day meant all alone. It felt right to join a very public thank you. I listened to that wise voice as I left my yogurt sit on the counter for later, grabbed a cup of coffee to go with me and dashed off in time to see the start of that parade. I will do this again. Memorial Day means something.

I am saddened by the greed that many people in positions of power and influence demonstrate. The men and women in charge of the Veteran Hospitals are all too very human and have given in to the temptation of money choosing that over doing the right thing. Power can and does corrupt at all levels. This is an ugly very human reality.

Listening to that wise voice we have inside can help us make the right decision. I hope I can keep that wise voice within my reach as the days of my life continue to unfold.

What does your wise voice lead you to do?