Good Earthkeeping, by Tasha Halpert –
When I was growing up, every year on Memorial Day my father put flowers on the graves of a couple buried in our local cemetery. They came here from Great Britain during World War II and had a home with a lion and a unicorn on the doorstep. I was taken to visit them when I was very small. I can still see them—a cheerful, elderly couple, with white hair and pink cheeks. Other than that I only remember that they gave me two small china ornaments. Daddy felt sad they had no one to decorate their graves, so every year he did.
While Memorial Day, which began after the conclusion of the Civil War, originated to honor the fallen in battle, it also echoes the universal celebrations of remembrance for loved ones who have passed on. During the year, all over the world, from Japan to Mexico there are world wide ceremonies to commemorate not only those who have died in battle but also those who have concluded their lives here on Earth in other ways. This year is especially meaningful to me because in the past year or so, a number of people I have known (and been fond of have) passed from this life.
The lives of those who matter to us have special meaning on Memorial Day. One such is a gentleman I considered to be a kind of icon of the Town of Grafton. I was surprised this week to read of his passing. While I did not know him personally, he was such a fixture it was as though I did. His name was Eddie, and he passed away peacefully, for which I am grateful. He was a lovely human being who surely made many smile as he waved to them from nearby his porch, or helped them at his supermarket job. I will miss his cheerful presence when I drive past his home.
I have no deceased friends buried nearby. The graves of my parents and son are too far for me to drive to easily. Nor do I really need to set aside a day on which to think about those deceased loved ones I include nightly in my prayers. However, it seems appropriate to have a day to honor the importance of the lives of those who have passed from this life. They served their country or simply those they loved, in a myriad of ways, and even if we cannot visit their resting places, when we think of them their efforts are recognized.
The humblest life is important. Whether someone dies in battle or in bed their life is meaningful. Deeds done, smiles exchanged, words spoken all color the threads woven through life’s fabric. Every life, whether large or small, famous or infamous, has meaning. What seems important is that we honor the life lived and the effort made to live it. On Memorial Day I celebrate not only the lives of those I knew and loved but also the lives of those who lived and died, whether known or unknown to me, who are part of the warp and weft of life here on Earth.
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