‘I don’t want to forget’ — What Memorial Day really means to those who’ve served
We asked what Memorial Day meant to you. Here's what you told us.
By Haley Britzky May 28, 2021
In a few days families and friends around the country will gather to enjoy time together over the long weekend. Community pools will open, grills will be turned on, beers will be served.
And U.S. service members, their friends, and their families will mourn those they have lost.
Many people think of Memorial Day as a somber day of remembrance, a chance to visit graves of fallen brothers and sisters and reminisce on time spent with them that was all too fleeting. But the day has become increasingly commercialized, marking blow-out sales of everything from furniture to skin care products, sneakers, and bed sheets.
‘I don’t want to forget’ — What Memorial Day really means to those who’ve served
It’s difficult to square those two experiences. What does a discounted llama table lamp have to do with the searing loss of a best friend, a spouse, a parent? Retired Army officer Mike Jason wrote in the Washington Post in 2014 that when his losses were fresh, the “happy Memorial Day” well-wishes and Memorial Day sales hurt that much more.
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/memorial-day-meaning-military-veterans/
