Memorial Day: Gratitude

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!

It's that time of year again when Americans get to enjoy an extended weekend: some leave town for a weekend jaunt, others fire up the barbecue for a cookout, and some folks just kick back to relax for an extra day.

But all the fun and shopping sales aside, Memorial Day has an important meaning behind it that not everyone fully grasps. Many understand that it was a holiday to remember those who served in the United States military and died; it began as Decoration Day only a few years after the American Civil War ended and has remained a national tradition since then. But beyond that, I think the holiday shares an equally important goal of showing gratitude.

Sometimes I unfortunately feel like the idea of honoring individuals who died can get lost in this greater level of patriotism surrounding the holiday and our military forces. Americans obviously display varying levels of patriotism, but regardless of how you feel about the country, it should still be important to recognize the losses that occurred to establish what we have. We're often very prone to taking blessings for granted, so deliberately thinking about them in this respect can be a positive and uplifting exercise (especially for those who are feeling depressed).

Even if you don't have a specific loved one to honor on Memorial Day, I challenge you to find five things you're truly grateful for as an American and take some time today to recognize those privileges we may not otherwise have without our veterans' sacrifices.

Much Love,
Bryce

P.S. I encourage you to check out the last State of Mind post on veterans to learn about some of the struggles our living veterans face.