Monday, May 25, 2009 is a National Holiday in the United States. It is a time that we remember those who fought for our freedom. Often times, we get so caught up in our own lives today, that we welcome the day off from work with pay without giving thought to the real meaning of the holiday.

I read a wonderful speech written by The American Legion for Memorial Day 2009. Below is an insert from this message. CLICK HERE to view it in it’s entirety.

Patriotism.

Let’s focus for a few moments on that word. If I were to ask you if you felt patriotic, what would you say? When did you first get that excited feeling in your heart as the flag passed by during a parade or the National Anthem was sung? What would be your answer? More than likely you were first aware of these feelings back in grade school when you learned the Pledge of Allegiance or sang, “My Country ‘tis of Thee.” Memorial Day reminds us that without patriotism we would have no heroes to honor today. Oliver Wendell Holmes called this “our most sacred holiday” and he urged that “we not ponder with sad thoughts the passing of our heroes, but rather ponder their legacy – the life they made possible for us by their commitment and pain.” At its core, Memorial Day has always commemorated the universal all-encompassing understanding of, “No greater love than this does any man have, that he lay down his life for his friends.” Lincoln in his memorable dedication of the Gettysburg battlefield in 1863 spoke of the inadequacy of words at times such as that, “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” We as Americans, as a people have embodied the spirit of “we’re all in this together” and “united we’ll stand together.”

Memorial Day 2009 I encourage you to take a moment and reflect on what Patriotism means to you.