Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial day had little significance for me growing up, unfortunately. We were educated in school and at home, and participated in some parades throughout the years for different organizations, but I definitely didn't fully grasp the true importance of the day until my more "mature" years. Up until recently, my grandfather has only talked about small insiginificant events from his days of service overseas. He would laugh remembering some of his buddies, the silly pranks and adventures they went on, and the songs they would sing. As is the case with most soldiers, the war brings back many unpleasant experiences for him, those that one could probably not grasp unless they themselves had experienced them. It is hard to ask questions because he becomes very emotional talking about them.

To date, I have read as many books related to my grandfathers experiences as I have been able to get my hands on...Flags of our Fathers, Ghost Soldiers, The Battle of the Bulge, The Greatest Generation, etc. Many times myself, I have become emotional because of how little I truly knew about the war. I used to feel embarrassed when my grandfather made remarks concerning the Japanese, however, after reading some of the events that occurred, I can understand how he could feel the way he does.

In church on Sunday, our Pastor's sermon was based on the premise of "sacrificial love" and what it means for these soldiers to fight for our rights to be free. He told a true story about a man named Milton Olive III who served in the Vietnam War. He was 17 years old when he was sent to Vietnam and along with four other men, they made a pact that they would stay "in it" together and do everything they could to stay alive together. One day, they came across a live grenade that was about to explode in seconds. Without hesitation, Milton Olive III jumped on the grenade, tucked it into his abdomen, and curled his body into a ball so he could shield his friends from the explosion and save their lives. In a moment, he didn't think twice about sacrificing his life to save the lives of his friends.

On a daily basis, our American troops are protecting our lives so that we can go about our daily routines without fear. So many Americans spend their time arguing the fact that the troops should not be overseas, and I am not here to argue that point either way. However, today, and every day, we should be thankful for the sacrifices our troops voluntarily make for us so that we can be safe.

One day, my grandfather will not be around anymore and all the experiences and memories he went through will be gone with him. I am so thankful that he protected my right to be free and sacrificed so much time away from his wife to protect everyone else's families. I am thankful for all the troops who have and currently serve for us.

thank you....

Legacy

Last weekend, my brother graduated from college. He is the 3rd of four of us who have now graduated. For as long as I can remember, my grandparents have all been very involved in our lives and have gone to as much of our life events as possible.

I am extremely lucky because I still have 3 of 4 grandparents who are all still very active; two of them still work at least 1 day per week and the 3rd volunteers at different places. They are between the ages of 81 and 85.

For the trip to Stockton for the graduation, my parents rented a mini-van and picked up the crew of grandparents (my mom termed it the "senior citizen mobile" so they wouldn't have to drive all the way down. They picked me up at work since it was on the way down and had a very enjoyable day. On the way home, I sat all the way in the back with my grandfather and he was telling me some stories about him and his brothers from the war days. I always love hearing stories when he is able to talk about them because it's a legacy. I get this feeling inside when I hear him and my grandmother who was a nurse during the war talk about their experiences. It's something that I will fortunately never have to know about.

Sitting in that car on Saturday I was having mixed emotions between being happy and sad. I am so lucky to be 27 years old and still have my grandparents in my life. However, the older they get, the more vulnerable I feel they are and that's what makes me so sad. At times, they appear frail and have difficulties getting around. I know this is part of life....