For many Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer. Neighborhood pools open and many people have the day off from work. For many Americans that is where their understanding stops… It is amazing to me how many people confuse Memorial Day with Veterans Day! Memorial Day is the day we remember those men and women who died while serving in our nation’s armed forces. On Veterans Day we honor all men and women who have served in our nation’s armed forces.

This past week we got to celebrate Memorial Day with our boys. We take the responsibility of teaching our boys about the great sacrifices of those who have made our freedom possible very seriously. Obviously our boys are very young and can not yet grasp the magnitude or the true sacrifice that this holiday represents, but we feel they were ready to start laying the groundwork to understanding.

Because of how young they are we wanted to offer them something tangible that they could touch and interact with. Something to help them wrap their little thoughts and hearts around. So we took them to the Veterans Memorial Park right down the road from where we are living.

It was a rainy, dreary morning so we took our umbrellas and huddled underneath them while we walked around the circle. We enjoyed reading the plaques and talking about the army vehicles and statues that are placed around the circular walkway. It was a wonderful morning despite the rain (there may have been some puddle jumping). We all enjoyed spending this intentional time with each other remembering those who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us.