all those who died fighting to preserve and guarantee our freedoms as a nation under God.
As is customary, most of us will be celebrating Memorial Day on the last Monday of the month of May. It will allow us the luxury of having a three-day weekend for enjoying family, friends, and loved ones. Whether we celebrate with barbecues, picnics, or fun at a pool or a beach, I hope that all of us can take the time to honor our nation’s war dead. We remember these men and women who lost their lives fighting for our country.
Personally, I will use Memorial Day to examine my own thoughts on patriotism. What does it mean for me to be an American? What does “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” mean to me? Do I value the Bill of Rights, the nation’s Constitution, or the rights that I have to free speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly?
Many flags will be flying this weekend. As we see the stars and stripes blowing in the wind, it is right that we honor those who died in service to our country… in service to us as citizens. However, it is also fitting that we remember why they died. We possess those rights of citizenship because they died defending those rights. We owe them a debt—we must keep the embers of that fire that preserves our rights burning bright.
Yes, I concur, it's great to have a three-day weekend. But more than ever I will remember during this holiday that I can enjoy an extra day of rest because my fallen heroes did not take a day off when they defended their country. How fortunate I am to live in the home of the free and the land of the brave.
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