Today as I was heading back to my parents’ place after a meeting, I ended up driving pass a cemetery. For some reason, after seeing all the American flags and being reminded that it was Memorial Day, I had this great urge to stop by and take some time to reflect.
I was thinking that the generations who have gone before us were people from a different breed. We live in a culture today where words like “courage,” “honor,” and “sacrifice” are winced upon. It is hard to believe that there once was a time when people would willingly lay down their lives to defend their country and freedom.
Sometimes we forget about the sacrifice that people have made in the past so that we can enjoy the things that we have today. Everything comes at a price and the cost of freedom is very high. I pray that we will never forget and never take things for granted.
We need to raise up more people who exhibit some of these character traits that make our country great.
Today in Arlington National Cemetery, President Bush paid tribute to the men and women who have died in battle with these words, “From faraway lands, they were returned to cemeteries like this one where broken hearts received their broken bodies. They found peace beneath the white headstones in the land they fought to defend. It is a solemn reminder of the cost of freedom that the number of headstones in a place such as this grows with every new Memorial Day. I am humbled by those who have made the ultimate sacrifice that allow a free civilization to endure and flourish. It only remains for us, the heirs of their legacy, to have the courage and the character to follow their lead and to preserve America as the greatest nation on Earth and the last, best hope for mankind.”
My heart is so grateful for the sacrifices that were made by people who counted the cost for freedom.
There were many flags out on the cemetery
There were some freshly made graves – just a reminder that sacrifices are being made constantly
The flags of the U.S. Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard)