Today is Memorial Day, a date that often gets lost in barbecues, weekend sales, and the unofficial kickoff to summer. But at its core, this day carries a weight that deserves our full attention.
Unlike Veterans Day, which honors all who have served, Memorial Day is about those who never made it home. It is reserved for the men and women who died in service to the country. Often young. Often far from home. Always leaving behind families, friends, and futures that were never fully lived.
There is a kind of quiet dignity to this day. It asks for reflection rather than celebration. It is not a holiday for the living. It is a remembrance for the fallen.
Their sacrifice is the reason we get to enjoy ordinary things like long weekends and morning routines. And while we may never know most of their names, we live in the country they helped preserve.
So maybe before the grill gets fired up or the lake trip begins, take a few moments to sit with that truth. Read a name. Visit a grave. Tell your kids why this day exists.
Freedom always costs something. Today is the day we remember who paid for it.