Memorial Day

Yesterday we hung our flag out in the front yard in remembrance of Memorial Day.

I love the feelings that I experience when I look at that flag. It is a symbol that comes to mean more to me each year.

This year, I am not sure that I did very good job teaching my children about Memorial Day and about the opportunity we have to honor and remember both the soldiers and loved ones who have died. If you asked my kids what it meant--I think they would say picnics, friends and days off from school. I will do better next year.

But today I was certainly thinking of Grammie. Grammie's house was always such a welcome sight after the long drive from Idaho to Ely, Nevada. I loved that house--so clean and bright. I was remembering today how Grammie would store her rubber gloves after she washed the dishes. (She would rinse them and put them over a old juice can so they could dry out.) Or--how she would washed the dishes twice to get them very clean.

I loved how she wore such pretty jewelery and had such beautiful handkerchiefs. Her house had this smell that was like a mix of Dove Soap and flowers and cleaner.

I loved the food at Grammie's house--especially the jello pudding pops in the freezer. I loved waking up in the morning to the most amazing breakfast spread--and I loved walking out and seeing my Grandparents there. Grandpa would be eating his grapefruit or cereal with wheat bran while he read the paper. Grandma was almost never sitting down. She was chopping fruit or washing some one's dish--or just fussing over Grandpa.

Today I was certainly thinking of Grandma Glenna and Grandpa Lyle. I still miss them so bad that it hurts sometimes. I wish they knew Zach. I wish they could get a smile out of the funny things he does, or see what neat young women Meghan and Rachel are growing up to be.

I wish they knew what an impact they still have on my life.

I wish they had been able to come to Michigan. I think they would have loved to go to Mackinac Island or Tahquamenon Falls. I think Grandpa would have loved Henry Ford Museum.

I wonder if they would be proud of the choices I am making and the little family I am raising. I would love for my kids to get to swim with Grandpa Lyle and read books with Grandma Glenna.

I want them to be remembered for they were truly great people.

I am so glad that these great-grandaughter's (Morgan, Isabell, Paige and Haylee) were able to go visit their graves this Memorial Day. It made me smile to hear Haylee wanted to clean the graves with wipes and make them beautiful.

Thanks Haylee for honoring them in that way.

Thanks everyone for being there and for decorating their graves and for remembering them.

To Grandma (who is my role model):

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose.

~From the television show The Wonder Years

To Grandpa (who truly lived life with a grin and hated to touch peaches):

"To live in hearts we leave behind

Is not to die."

~Thomas Campbell, Hallowed Ground