The Land of the Free

I have great memories of Memorial Day as a child. For many years my sister, Kathy, and I dressed in red, white, and blue, then hopped on our bikes to ride the two miles to our grandmother's house. Grandma Chappell had buckets full of fresh flowers ready to arrange for the graves. Grandma's sister also brought flowers, but more importantly she brought her two daughters and several granddaughters. This was the only day we saw these "cousins" all year, so we looked forward to catching up on their lives. After "decorating" at the cemetery, we went back to Grandma's house for dinner. As I look back, I'm grateful to my grandmother for instilling a love of my ancestors and well as giving me a chance to get to know some relatives. I know that my children aren't in a position to visit graves, but I hope they read and tell stories of ancestors and relatives so that the generations will be connected. Memorial Day is a great holiday.