Take a picture. Tape it into the dictionary under ‘perfection.’
As Memorial Day weekends go, this one has been fairly spectacular so far. Near-flawless weather Saturday and Sunday cried out to Pennsylvania’s convertibles and motorcycles. Farmers markets buzzed with the renewing vitality of a new season.
Spring, thy name is local asparagus. Happiness, you’re an afternoon at Whipple Dam. Or maybe an ice cream at Meyer Dairy.
Either way, the relaxed, breezy calm of another central-Pennsylvania summer is just about in full swing. And the vibe around State College couldn’t be nicer.
But as we soak up all the splendor of the fresh season, let’s not forget the meaningful cornerstone of the weekend: Memorial Day — today.
Let’s not forget that we wouldn’t be enjoying these glorious American summer days had it not been for those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Let’s not forget that our entire way of life — our liberties, our freedoms — would be impossible had it not been for their courage, their bravery, their valor.
Each day, we can honor their service, their sacrifice in the ways we help mold the country, participate in its governance and nobly hold its elected leaders accountable. We honor our fallen in the way we conduct our own lives, in the way we share civic responsibility and commit to something greater than ourselves.
We are a nation born and sustained through the courage and blood of our forebears. Our very presence as Americans is their legacy, and a sacred responsibility we dare not take for granted on any day.
Today — especially today — we deliberately put the lighter side of life on pause as we recall their overwhelming sacrifices in thoughtful remembrance. Some remember through prayer; some, through less spiritual means.
Many go to Boalsburg, which offers one of the nation’s most historically rich Memorial Day traditions. In the relatively few spring seasons that I’ve spent away from Centre County, I developed a new sort of reverence and appreciation for the solemnity and spirit that the village brings to the day. Not every community handles it with such class, dignity and depth of meaning.
For those who shy away from public gatherings, more private, quiet contemplation — far from the crowds — may be in store.
However each of us chooses to mark the day, here are my own hopes:
I hope that each of us finds the time to thank a surviving veteran — and the family of one who didn’t come home. You may not know them personally, but we’re all Americans, and that alone is bond enough.
And I hope that each of us considers how best to uphold the legacy and inspired examples that American men and women in uniform have set. The answer may be different for everyone, but it’s worth taking some time to think it through.
Let’s not forget.
