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| Shared Idea |
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| Memorial Day Essay
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| At my grandson's school, there was a competition among the students to write the best essay for Memorial Day. I am totally impressed with my grandson's essay, which is titled "A Promise to the Fallen." Furthermore, it was selected as the best essay done by any student, and I wish to share it with you:
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| A day birthed from bloodshed, a day wreathed in solemn remembrance. Maybe a flower on the grave of a fallen comrade. But deep down you know this flower will never fill the crater where their life used to be. Taken by the enemy who shot because he wanted to return to his family and because he did not want to be on the receiving end of your loaded bullet. Two more victims of war.
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| When brothers fought brothers and graves piled high, this holiday began on blood-soaked lands. Decoration Day, its purpose was clear: to lay to rest the fallen, to honor the brave who fought for their cause, never realizing they headed straight to the grave. But if this grief came from both sides, who was right to mourn? They both were, for they both lost great men in the fight. They both wept for their dead, because this is how war works: always ending in despair. From this dark moment the idea of Decoration Day grew on, guiding America through war after war as the grave mound grew taller. It took on a new name: Memorial Day. Some call it a holiday. I take it as a reminder of our bloody past and how we must be better for the brave souls that might be lost in wars to come unless we take action and prevent those wars to come.
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| Today, I will take a moment of silence to remember the brave souls that died defending my country and protecting my rights. I will remember the sacrifice they made to protect me. But I will also remember the grief left behind. I think of my grandfather, who survived three bullets. He was lucky. He always told me one thing: War is cruel and unforgiving. Today as I take a moment of silence I will think about his words and I will make a promise. I promise to look for peace before war. I promise to do my best to prevent that grief. And I promise to never let their sacrifice be in vain. Because I bet if you ask each of them their thoughts about war, they would be the same as mine.
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| So today as I take my moment of silence I will think about how to make sure their sacrifice was not in vain. I will think about the tomorrow of this nation and how to make it less burdened and more joy-filled. This is how I plan to spend my Memorial Day. How about you?
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| [As a closing note, I wish to add that Otis is only eleven years old!]
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