Sorry, but in my list of holidays, it is not a happy one any more.

A couple things occurred to me as I was thinking about what to write about.

First was a guy on a discussion list who wrote the whole wish and wished everyone a happy Memorial Day.

Maybe he meant no harm, but in a sense I was offended.  He is wishing happy celebration of a day to memorialize the death of patriots who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Sure they deserve acclaim, memorializing and respect.  But I dunno, I am not happy about it at all.  For every death given for our freedom there is a bereaving family. the loss of loved ones and often children now living without a parent.  "Happy Memorial Day" to my curmudgeonly mind seems too flippant.

I celebrate with grim sobriety the lives lost, the stories never told of valor and bravery and the heroes forgotten.