May 24

Written by: Russ Henke
5/24/2009 11:32 AM 

As the years roll by, I have come to loathe Memorial Day.

All three men in my immediate family served honorably in the US Armed Services. My father in WWI, my brother in WWII, and my other brother in post-WWII Europe. My father and oldest brother survived the wars, but their lives were both cut short by the long-term effects of wartime injuries they suffered. My father was gone before I was 10 years old. The good memories are fading now.

For my spouse and me, virtually every family member older than we, are gone. So too for many teachers, college professors, former bosses, and even some co-workers. Lots of memories to go around.

But worst of all, one of our sons is gone. Gone at age 23. It’s been 17 years, but the hurt is still raw. We remember. We grieve. We give thanks for our two other children who are thriving.

We also acknowledge the grief of millions of our fellow citizens with similar or worse stories, but somehow we remain strangely discomforted by that acknowledgment. Alas, grief and remembrance are very personal.

Yes, I have come to loathe Memorial Day.