“And they who for their country die shall fill an honored grave, for glory lights the soldier‘s tomb, and beauty weeps the brave.” Joseph Drake
Motivation Mondays: Memorial Day – Honoring our Service Men/Women
What does Memorial Day mean to You? if you are not familiar with this very important day then, I encourage you to stop and consider what it means to pay the ultimate sacrifice for your beloved country. It is special day celebrated annually on the last Monday of May and dedicated to the memory of fallen American men and women who died in all wars and armed conflicts. Initially, it was created to honor northern soldiers who died in the Civil War, but over time, it became a way to remember those who died in World War I & II, and then all wars.
In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday in the USA. Since then, every last Monday of the moth of May is a day we honor those who died in all armed conflicts. It is also seen, in some circles, as the unofficial start of the summer season. How is this a subject for motivation? First of all, we can motivate ourselves and those around us to seek peaceful solutions to problems; We can educate ourselves on the effects of war, the value of peaceful coexistence, and we can build bridges of peace across the world.
As a survivor of a civil war, I cherish and honor all servicemen and women who risk their lives, in times of war, to make sure that innocent civilians live to remember the value of peace. While some of us are completely against war, we must remember that when we honor, salute, and cherish the memories of those who died, we are creating a legacy of hope and gratitude that we can pass on to our children and the next generation. Peacekeeping is not the absence of war but, we can work together with peace loving people around the world to ensure that our collective governments continue on the path to global peace. As we gather today to pay our respects to the memories of those lost, we are reminded that war should be, unequivocally, the last option for settling disputes.
“Better than honor and glory, and History’s iron pen, was the thought of duty done and the love of his fellow-men.” ~ Richard Watson Gilder
Motivation Mondays: Memorial Day – Honoring our Service Men/Women
Honoring Our Veterans: In case we forget, let me remind us all that all casualties of war or MIAs leave behind loved ones, family members, and memories of what could have been… How do we ever forget? How do we forget the pain and suffering inflicted on both the victor and the vanquished? As I’ve written in other posts, I’d like to repeat this statement again that while one side might claim victory, the loss of life and the deepening resentments that come from warring creates animosity and a spirit of revenge. War is devastating and its scars are indelible. If we are motivated to do good in this world, we can start by teaching our children to not hate others and to choose peace. So when we raise our hands in salute to our heroes, let us raise our hands also in a gesture of peace…
Back in the old days, when WW I & II were part of the experience of our grandparents, many who went to war were not expected to return because the journey was brutal, the battles close up and fierce and the weapons of war not as sophisticated as they are today. My Dad was a lowly Sergent in the Burma war and while he cherished his memories of survival and his sepia photos from that period, he was a strong advocate for peace and compromise. As I honor and celebrate the lives of our Veterans today, I would like to implore each of you and all the world leaders out there to make peace a key objective, to remember those whose lives were lost with great reverence, and to treat our veterans with the utmost love, honor and respect; it is the least we can do. Hope your Memorial Day is filled with peace and love!
Positive Motivation Tip: When we remember those we lost at war, let us remember to act peacefully towards each other.
Motivation Mondays is open to anyone who wishes to share a motivational quote, photo, personal challenge or a post that encourages others to start the week on an upbeat note. Basic Instructions: Each week, I will have a motivation word to help us create a response. (See listed words for the months above/below) Email address: You may email or share your post as a comment and I will add it to the round-up of related posts. email it to: contact(@)mirthandmotivation(.)com Category tag: – Share your post using Motivation Mondays Twitter hashtag: – Use this on Twitter #MotvnM Dedicated Page: There is a dedicated page for Motivation Mondays. It has the same instructions and will include other helpful tools and a link to the round-up Facebook Page:MotivationOnMondays Join our page and add your post and/or any motivational piece you think will be helpful to others. Facebook Community: We have a Facebook community forum to compliment the page. It serves as another way to share uplifting posts and thoughts. Please join in and add your voice.
Badge: – I created a fun badge using PicMonkey’s free photo editing tools. You can create your own, use WordPress’ integrated tool on your blog or you are welcome to use mine. (see dedicated page) Tag: – Motivation Mondays Hashtag: – #MotvnM Related Posts
The next time I visit Washington DC I intend to visit Arlington. I saw it from afar but I didn’t get inside the gates. I do visit the National Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ, often, because it is my honor to place flowers at the graves of our country’s bravest men and women. National is sad but alive. I can hear the voices of our soldiers and I pray for their souls. May we always remember those who gave their lives for our country.
I feel deep respect and admiration for Veterans, I would be so honored if I ever meet one of these people in my life time. My grandfather was not a Veteran but he lived through the remainings of hell of the end of WW II in Italy…
It means a lot to me and for them to make the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for us to be free is what Memorial Day is all about. I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about people saying it’s not “Happy Memorial Day” but my opinion of that is, we’re happy that we’re free, and while it was sad that they lost their lives, do you think that we should go about moping and say “it’s such a sad memorial day”.
I understand the sentiments and agree that we should honor the lives of all our servicemen and women who died at war. Personally, I would prefer to use Honoring Memorial Day, Remembering the Brave on Memorial Day or some version of that. I don’t like the phrase “Happy Memorial Day” which honestly makes no sense. It is not a happy occasion but one of reverence and reflection. Thank you for your comment. 🙂
We can all seek non combative and non aggressive means to solve our problems life will get better if we focus on this. Governments have an agenda to sell their arms so they dont really want peace across the globe. YET they dont want it close to home. Memorial day is a fitting reminder of that!
It is such an important day to remember and honor the fallen soldiers, their sacrifices and the heroism. A special thank you to all the men and women who protect us every day! Love how you wrote “When we remember those we lost at war, let us remember to act peacefully towards each other.” Thanks for sharing such a great and inspiring post!
Thank you for such a thoughtful post. Even though I haven’t lost anyone in combat, I do have several family members and friends who have served or are serving in the military. This includes my parents, who are now deceased. Mom was in the Air Force and Dad was in the Army,
This is the best memorial day collage. Thanks for motivating us all. I am going to tweet with #MotvnM hashtag today.
You are so kind… I need to use it more myself. TY! 🙂
The next time I visit Washington DC I intend to visit Arlington. I saw it from afar but I didn’t get inside the gates. I do visit the National Memorial Cemetery in Phoenix, AZ, often, because it is my honor to place flowers at the graves of our country’s bravest men and women. National is sad but alive. I can hear the voices of our soldiers and I pray for their souls. May we always remember those who gave their lives for our country.
Amen and they are all deserving of such honors. TY! 🙂
I feel deep respect and admiration for Veterans, I would be so honored if I ever meet one of these people in my life time. My grandfather was not a Veteran but he lived through the remainings of hell of the end of WW II in Italy…
They all served bravely and I am grateful for all of them around the world.
They are such an inspiration! We must fight for our beliefs and to protect others!
Indeed. It is a great honor to remember them.
It means a lot to me and for them to make the ultimate sacrifice of their lives for us to be free is what Memorial Day is all about. I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about people saying it’s not “Happy Memorial Day” but my opinion of that is, we’re happy that we’re free, and while it was sad that they lost their lives, do you think that we should go about moping and say “it’s such a sad memorial day”.
I understand the sentiments and agree that we should honor the lives of all our servicemen and women who died at war. Personally, I would prefer to use Honoring Memorial Day, Remembering the Brave on Memorial Day or some version of that. I don’t like the phrase “Happy Memorial Day” which honestly makes no sense. It is not a happy occasion but one of reverence and reflection. Thank you for your comment. 🙂
We can all seek non combative and non aggressive means to solve our problems life will get better if we focus on this. Governments have an agenda to sell their arms so they dont really want peace across the globe. YET they dont want it close to home. Memorial day is a fitting reminder of that!
It is such an important day to remember and honor the fallen soldiers, their sacrifices and the heroism. A special thank you to all the men and women who protect us every day! Love how you wrote “When we remember those we lost at war, let us remember to act peacefully towards each other.” Thanks for sharing such a great and inspiring post!
Thank you Euge Nia. I am grateful for their sacrifices. <3
Lovely post, thank you for sharing what this day means to you.
I love your collage. Memorial day is such a near and dear to my heart day.
Thank you for such a thoughtful post. Even though I haven’t lost anyone in combat, I do have several family members and friends who have served or are serving in the military. This includes my parents, who are now deceased. Mom was in the Air Force and Dad was in the Army,
How wonderful! Thank you to them too. 🙂
Thank you for recognizing and honoring the true meaning of Memorial Day. I am so thankful for all who have served
Thank you for sharing your appreciation too! 🙂
This is a great article and an excellent way to honor Memorial day and the brave men and women who fight for our freedom every day!
Thank you. They are so deserving of the honor.
Love the picture choice for this collage! Memorial Day is such an important part of our past and future.
I appreciate the feedback Marielle!
This is one of the most beautiful memorial day collage I’ve ever found. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!
Oh thank you Lexie. Appreciated.:)
Great post, I admire your collages! You are so good at it.
This is exactly my thought. We should remember the ones who sacrifice for us.
We should always remember the ones who have sacrificed for us. Without them we would have many of the liberties we do.