This Memorial Day, let’s remember our heroes, and let’s not forget their families. Honoring the fallen men and women of our armed forces breathes life into the sacrifices they willingly made to safeguard our freedom. From World War II to Korea, then Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the war on terrorism, United States’ warriors paid the ultimate price. Their families paid as well.
Sacrificing our time and resources is one of the best ways to demonstrate love to our family. But making the greatest sacrifice for our loved ones demonstrates the greatest love. American heroes gave their lives so that we can live ours freely. This Memorial Day, we must honor their sacrifice by giving our time to honor the fallen, to keep their memories alive.
It is only because of fallen soldiers’ resilience in wartime that we have our freedom in peacetime. We should use that freedom well and never forget where it came from. And as we spend time with our families this weekend, we should remember those families with Gold Stars.
Families of fallen heroes sacrifice too. The families of those who have died carry their grief forever. They grapple with the universal challenges of losing a loved one — loneliness, empty beds and chairs, financial struggles due to income loss, facing milestones and celebrations with enduring heartache — but along with their grief, families of the fallen carry the weight of losing someone to war. For them, every day is like Memorial Day but without public ceremonies and BBQ feasts. Losing our soldiers carves a deep wound in our communities that often goes unseen.
Memorial Day is also a time for Americans to demonstrate love to the loved ones that will forever have an empty chair around their table. The families of our fallen soldiers must be shown that their nation remembers and commemorates their loved one’s — and their — sacrifice.
I sincerely call all Americans to recall the fallen soldiers’ families. Extend a gracious hand to remind them that their hero is not forgotten. Reach out to Gold Star families. Bring them a meal if you know them, watch their kids, donate towards their children’s college fund, and share memories with them or around them. I personally recommend a handwritten letter. This demonstrates a sincere, thoughtful, and hardworking approach to thanking the family members for their fallen hero’s sacrifice. Encouragement travels long distances, our community needs it more than ever.
The Apostle John asserts, “Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God” (NKJV, 1 John 4.7). Be like Christ and love one another to the best of our ability, just like our fallen brothers and sisters who loved us.