Memorial Day - 2016 by Diane Burton

Sometimes we take federal holidays for granted or only think about how great it is to have a day off work. We forget the reason behind designating a particular day a holiday. Memorial Day's origin goes back to 1868. The purpose was for the nation to decorate the graves of those soldiers who died in the Civil War. Since, it’s expanded to include all service people who died defending us.

This picture, originally posted on Facebook, really touched me. It’s a vivid reminder of the families who have suffered a loss that only those who have suffered a similar loss can fully understand. I haven’t, but my heart hurts for those who have. Spouses, parents, children of our fallen heroes gave a sacrifice as great as the soldier who died. Maybe greater. They live with the heartache every day while the soldier has gone to his/her reward.

My dad and his brothers fought in WWII, one of my grandfathers in WWI, a great-great grandfather in the Civil War, and a multi-great grandfather in the Revolutionary War. An uncle and a good friend were police officers. Their service ensured that we are still a country of freedoms. Freedoms we often take for granted, forgetting that many people in this world don't have them.

Post-apocalyptic movies and books show us what happens when society breaks down. Law and order is gone. Chaos reigns. Those with the power and weapons rule. Might makes right. Heaven help the rest. While I love movies and books, those that show the disintegration of civilization make me so uncomfortable I can’t watch or read them. The reality is too horrifying to contemplate.

While we enjoy our three-day weekend, have our picnics, kick off the beginning of summer, maybe we can take a moment and thank those who died protecting our freedoms.

Diane Burton writes romantic suspense, mysteries, and science fiction romance. She blogs here on the 30th of the month, on Paranormal Romantics on the 13th, and on her own blog on Mondays.