Okay, full disclosure, the headline was meant to be jarring.  There’s some truth to it though.  For those who treat Memorial Day as more than a day off or an excuse to double the caloric intake, Memorial Day can be downright depressing.  Nearly 3 million American soldiers have been killed our wounded defending our freedom .  3 million!  To put that in perspective, that’s the population of America’s 3rd largest city, Chicago.

Memorial Day is a reminder of the true sacrifice these men and women have made.  The reason that I often have mixed feelings about Memorial Day is really because, when I look back at my contribution to freedom, it’s really quite small.  Mostly, my contribution comes in two ways.  First, I have a responsibility to teach my children the value of freedom and to care for my neighbors the best I can.  The second is a bit more personal and a bit more painful.  My contribution comes in the form of loss.  It’s not the ultimate sacrifice, please don’t misunderstand me, but losing my friend Tim remains incredibly painful and a constant reminder of the fact that freedom isn’t free.

I wish we didn’t need a Memorial Day.  I wish I could contribute more to freedom.  I wish I could pick up the phone and call my friend Tim. So yeah, Memorial Day does suck…but I’m so thankful for it.