Memorial Day 2015

Ladies and Gentlemen, fire up your barbeques and throw your alarm clocks into the sea--Memorial Day is less than a week away! I'm sure a large portion of you are spending these afternoons daydreaming about the three-day weekend that lies ahead. I know I am, but amidst my preparations I have also been wondering:

"What is the best way to commemorate Memorial Day?"

Are hotdogs and beer enough? While I wholeheartedly agree that joining up with friends and family in celebration of our liberties is an excellent way to commend Memorial Day, we must also remember that this "Get Out of Monday Free" card is more than just a harbinger of sunshine and summer--it is a day of observance for those who offered their lives in service to our country.  It is a day to remember sacrifice.

One way to respectfully honor our veterans is with flowers.  Oftentimes, flowers indicate celebration, but they are also heralds of passing, observance, and remembrance.  For these occasions, flowers say things that words cannot.  They are a visual representation of life, beauty, and love, and are a means of showing support, appreciation, and respect.   

Photo courtesy of J. Hembree

This Memorial Day, honor our pillars of history by decorating the grave of a fallen soldier with flowers, send a thank-you bouquet to a living veteran, or simply add some red, white, and blue blooms to your home or cookout in memoriam. These flowers can serve to remind you of those who have faithfully served us. 

So, this Memorial Day, let's have fun, enjoy the sunshine, and commemorate those in the past that have helped build our present.