Memorial Day Rembrance

Memorial Day, while originally intended to honor the fallen Union Soldiers from the American Civil War, became more notably a day to commemorate all fallen soldiers serving in the United States Armed Services. We honor those we have lost, have barbecues to commemorate them, and generally take pause to reflect upon what their collective sacrifice means to all of us.

More recently still, this holiday has come to symbolize a day in which we embark on more personal expressions of memory about those departed loved ones who we dearly miss. For more than two years we have faced the COVID-19 pandemic together (with over 1 million deaths in the US alone), and now with cases on the rise more people are losing their lives. 

Additionally, the war in Ukraine, the 27 school shootings in the US this year alone (and 200 mass shootings), and all of the other senseless violent acts that resulted in the deaths of innocent people is a reason to contemplate and commemorate all of the lives lost. Today I reflect upon all of these souls who have lost, and continue to lose, their lives.