As a very divided country, there isn’t much that Americans agree on. But I think it is fair to say that most Americans agree that we have our freedoms because of the sacrifices made by those who fought for those freedoms, many who made the ultimate sacrifice for them. We celebrate those brave men and women each year on Memorial Day. While many also enjoy the first long holiday weekend of the summer season, Memorial Day, is first of all, about celebrating the bravery of those who made our freedoms possible. On this, we stand united.

I wonder if we will always remember the sacrifices of our military. It is possible that next generations will lose sight of this history, for we do not have the same focus on the military that we once had. While many have watched the war between Russia and Ukraine, grieving over the devastation to Ukraine, we are still somewhat removed from this war. While we can sympathize, most cannot empathize, having not lived through a physical war on our land. We can, however, grieve with those suffering the injustices of war, and be grateful that these injustices are not a reality of our current lives.

One more thing we can do. We can keep the memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedoms alive, not allowing the passing of time to dull our memories. We can talk to our children about our ancestors who fought in wars through the years, making sure they know them, and about the wars. We can reinforce our country’s value of freedom and connect that to the choices we are making today, or the choices we are failing to make. Connecting our current reality to our past, to the good, and to the not-so-good, can keep our history alive.

We should never forget that we are the Land of the Free Because of the Brave.