This weekend in America, we celebrate Memorial Day

@bookshelftracker

This weekend in America, we celebrate Memorial Day. Honoring those in the military who have given the ultimate sacrifice.

The Hawaiian shirt and book stack tell a story. My father-in-law served in Vietnam (My dad also served in the military. Different time. Different place). Both are still living. You may ask..."I thought we were honoring the dead?" I'll get to that in a moment.

The book stack is related to the Vietnam War. But the Hawaiian shirt? Ahhh...the Hawaiian shirt. That's the shirt my mother-in-law purchased in Hawaii in 1969 when she visited her husband on R and R! Original! Old school! Pretty amazing to me! (They also stayed in the same hotel with The 5th Dimension, who are best known for singing the classic "Age of Aquarius") Crazy!

But back to Memorial Day. There are men who served with my father-law who never made it back. Families whose trajectories dramatically changed when they received the tragic news. Parents who had to bury their children. Wives and girlfriends who lost their best friends. Children without a father. War is hell, yet time moves forward. It's certainly not fair.

I didn't serve in the military and don't claim to have an ounce of understanding to know the pain of losing those you served with. But I do know that my father-in-law living...gave me his daughter. Who I am happily married to and thankful for every day. I remember the path that brought her to me.

History books, personal memoirs, etc., may not be your thing, and that's ok. They aren't for everyone. They've always helped me better understand the world and those who have sacrificed everything. We can argue about politics and "just and unjust wars" forever. But this weekend, it's about honor and remembrance. Life is precious. Never forget. - Jason /BookshelfTracker