Memorial Day

Memorial Day to me is a very special kind of day. Yes, we get a day off work or out of school. However, it always had much more to it as a child and does still as an adult.

Growing up in Utah, Memorial Day was a day to remember those who have died defending the freedoms we all enjoy, but it was also a day to remember our ancestors and a family that had passed away! I think this stems from the fact that many of our lives would be so completely different than they are if it weren't for both of them. So, we would spend the day in the cemetery cleaning and decorating the graves of our loved ones! We always started out in Grantsville, decorating the graves there and of course running into a ton of friends and family. It wasn't a sad time, it was just a solemn time, a time to remember and a time for friends/family to catch up in sorts. I remember going with my Grandma Burr (she is really my Great Grandma, but we called her Grandma Burr because my dad did - she raised him) to the Provo cemetery to place flowers on our relatives graves there. One of them was my father's mother grave. I remember buying mums at the store, trying to get favorite colors if we could, making sure they were just right. I remember asking questions once in a while about who was who and etc.

I have fond memories and I so dearly wish my children could have those same memories. However, I never make it to Utah where my family is predominantly buried. I have no family here. So, this year as I pondered on it today, I have decided if I am unable to make it to Utah, my new tradition will be to go to the cemetery and find a few graves that look as though all the family is passed or moved away. We will clean those graves and leave flowers. I want my children to know Memorial Day is more than just a day for fun, it is more than just a three day weekend.

So, beginning next year, that is what is to be done. This year, we made an overnight to visit friends in Tucson who are moving to Washington soon. We went to a patriotic jazz concert under the stars, and viewed some of the beauty of the Sonoran Desert! Enjoy our silly pictures!!