A Moment Of Remebrance

Nobody is exactly sure when and where the Memorial Day tradition was started.

The historical record indicates that President Lyndon Baines Johnson officially declared Waterloo, N.Y., as the birthplace of Memorial Day by presidential proclamation in 1966. But at least one online source – http://www.usmemorialday.org/ – indicates there are more than two dozen other communities that also claim to be the place where the first American Memorial Day was observed, from Columbus, Ga., to Columbus, Miss. to 22 or so places not named Columbus.

Regardless of where the actual birthplace of Memorial Day was, it’s pretty clear that the practice started during the years following the Civil War as a way of remembering and honoring those who gave their lives during that conflict. In many places, women decorated the graves of their dead soldiers with flowers in much the same way that early Egyptians, Greeks and Romans used flowers and flower petals as part of their funeral rites and rituals – which is why it has often been referred to as Decoration Day through the years.

Eventually it became a national holiday called Memorial Day, and its scope was expanded to include paying tribute to fallen soldiers from every American war. Over time it has evolved into a day to honor the memory of all our departed loved ones, regardless of their military background – or lack thereof.

And that isn’t a bad thing, necessarily. Remembering beloved family members and friends is actually a good thing, and it ought to be done. This Memorial Day, for example, I’ll be remembering my Uncle's James Craven and James Stone, who are deceased and Jerry Blake, who will soon be 81. They served in the Navy, Air Force, and Marines.

That’s why we’re going to do something this year that we’ve never done before. On Monday, May 30, at precisely 3 p.m., we’re going to stop doing whatever we’re doing, wherever we are, to participate in the National Moment of Remembrance. I confess that I had never heard of this annual observance, but it’s been happening every year since 2000, when President Bill Clinton initiated it as a way to “pause and consider the true meaning of this holiday … honoring those Americans who died while defending our Nation and its values.”

It was President Clinton’s intent that each Memorial Day at 3 p.m. (local time), Americans would “pause for one minute … to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made by so many to provide freedom to all.” Major League Baseball games come to a brief stop. Amtrak train whistles sound wherever they are. Tourists at the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty and elsewhere are asked to pause for a moment of silent reflection.

Which is exactly what the Stone family will be doing this Memorial Day at 3 p.m. We’ll be reflecting, considering, remembering and praying for those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom and their families. And for us as well-Because sometimes we forget to remember.