Memories and Memorials

Here in the United States the last Monday in May is a national holiday known as Memorial Day. It was originally created to remember soldiers lost in the Civil War, then expanded after the First World War to include all soldiers serving anywhere.

A picture of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery I took when I visited Washington, DC in 2009.

On the Ferrero side, we developed somewhat of a tradition of visiting my maternal grandfather's grave on Memorial Day after he passed away. We later expanded this to include my maternal grandmother since she passed and was buried next to him. However, this Memorial Day is a little different.

In addition to Memorial Day, today (Sunday the 29th) is/was my paternal grandmother's birthday. She would have been 93 today if she had not passed away in January. The last time I saw her in this world was when Lindsay and I stopped by her care facility driving the rental truck with our stuff from SLC to LA after the wedding reception. I'm almost positive she was just hanging on to make sure her last grandchild got married and once that happened, she was ready to move on. I'm really glad she got the chance.

So this Memorial Day, amid the TV commercials for sales on cars and mattresses, remember the reason for the holiday. Those who have served their country with pride and honor, and those in the family who are no longer here.