Memorial Day

In 2000, only 28% of Americans understood the meaning of Memorial Day. It is important that we do not forget the sacrifices of our military service members. We must pause to honor, reflect and remember the precious lives lost while fighting in war. Here are some facts about Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is a national holiday set aside to honor military service members who died fighting in a war. It is often confused with Veterans Day, November 11, when we thank and honor all those who served in the military.

Memorial Day was initially called Decoration Day because graves were decorated with flowers and flags. In May of 1874, Mrs. Laura D. Richardson of Knoxville, Tennessee, Chairperson of a committe to obtain flowers for decorating the graves in the national cemetery of Knoxville, saw flags in a store window. She had an idea and subsequently purchased the flags and had the local lumber mill provide the wood for tiny flagpoles. This began the movement to decorate graves with flags.

The holiday had been observed on May 30, but in 1971, when it became a national holiday, Congress changed it to the last Monday of May to create a three-day weekend. This change, some argued, would contribute to Americans neglecting the true meaning and observances of the holiday.

Poppies a symbol of death in war, have been worn on Memorial Day since 1915 to remember the fallen. This movement was initiated by an American teacher named Moina Michael who read the well-known poem by a Canadian military doctor, "In Flanders Fields."

Flags At Arlington National Cemetery and the U.S. Soldier's and Airmen's Home National Cemetery every Friday before Memorial Day, American flags are placed before the gravestones and niches of service members buried there. It takes approximately three hours to place the flags in front of more than 260,000 gravestones. Soldiers remain in the cemetery throughout the weekend to ensure that a flag remains at each gravestone.

Every year on Memorial Day, the president of the United States gives a speech and places a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknowns at the Arlington National Cemetery. Batteries on military installations fire a 21-gun salute to the nation's fallen heroes.

In an effort to remind and re-education Americans about the true meaning of Memorial Day, the National Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day was established by Congress in 2000. Americans are asked to pause at 3 p.m. local time and remember those who have perished in battle. To this day, many Americans still do not understand the true meaning of Memorial Day, nor do they take any measures to observe Memorial Day for what it was established to be May each of us do our part to recognize the significance of the holiday and give honor to those who have helped to guarantee our freedoms

The Symphony of Life

Paderewski, the famous composer-pianist was scheduled to perform at a great concert hall in America some years ago. It was an evening to remember black tuxedos and long evening dresses a high-society extravaganza. Present in the audience that evening was a mother with her fidgety 9-year-old son. Weary of waiting for the concert to begin, the boy squirmed constantly in his seat. His mother had hopes that her son would be encouraged to practice the piano if he could just hear the immortal Paderewski play. Against his wishes, he had to come.

As the mother turned to talk with friends, her son could stay seated no longer. He slipped away from her side, strangely drawn to the ebony grand piano and its leather tufted seat on the big stage flooded with blinding lights. Without much notice from the audience, the boy sat down on the piano seat, staring wide-eyed at the black and white keys. He placed his small, fingers in the right location and began to play "chopsticks!" The roar of the crowd was hushed as hundreds of frowning faces turned to the stage. Irritated and embarrassed, they began to cry out, "Get that boy away from there!" "Somebody stop him!" "How did he get up there?"

Backstage, the master pianist overheard

the sound out front and quickly grabbed his coat and rushed out on to the stage. Without one word of announcement, he stooped over behind the boy, reached around his sides and began playing a countermelody to harmonize with and enhance the boy's playing of chopsticks. As the two of them played together, Paderewski kept whispering to the boy, "Keep on playing....don't stop...don't quit." The audience, once irritated by the boy's action was now treated to a special improvised rendition of "chopsticks."

And so, it is with us. We go on through life, facing heartache, disappointment and experiences. We hammer away at our projects which seem about as significant as "chopsticks" in a concert hall. But, just about the time we want to give up, along comes the Master of our souls, who leans over and whispers, "Keep going... don't quit... don't stop... don't give up!" He provides a "heavenly" melody, adding the right touch to our lives. I remember a song of long ago that we used to sing in our youth group back In Chicago

Life is a symphony, since the man of Galilee Changed my discords into song, Makes life sweet the whole day long. Life is a symphony, praise the Lord of Calvary No more a stranger, He is the arranger of my symphony.