memorial day

as a kid i never realized what the meaning of memorial day was. to me memorial day was just another welcome day off from school. as an adult i have thought about it . as an adult i am more aware of the wars that the united states has been involved in. i have become more aware of who has died defending the honor of their country which is the country that i live in.
because the plight of israel and war in israel has been so prominent in my life it overshadowed the reality of war anywhere else. the gulf war and 9/11 changed all that. it dawned on me that hate and destruction could happen anywhere and that it is important to appreciate those who have lost their lives trying to defend our right to freedom and our right to feel safe in our country of residence.