I’ll wait for the sun to come up before hanging out the flag, a personal tradition that marks the beginning of another Memorial Day.  Being a bit of a nostalgic person, it does not escape me that the name of this day is about “serving to preserve remembrance.” In that sense,  this day and the events it includes serve an important purpose and, serves important audiences.

Those with a need for precision point out that in the truest sense, Memorial Day is meant to remember and honor those who died while serving their county, whereas Veterans’ Day is meant to honor those who served but are still alive. I have no need for this precision because I’m sure we can never honor either group too much.

But I do think it’s important that we remember that Memorial Day serves us, the living, in addition to honoring those who gave all. We should be reminded that there are times when we may be called to give value to something greater than life itself. It is a sobering thought. What would I willing to die for?

Today we honor hundreds of thousands who answered that question and placed a higher value on something other than their own lives. When we see those stones with flags in front of them we can and should feel some sadness. But we should also celebrate the choices each of them made. The reasons may have been different for each but the reality is something became more important than staying alive.

We are all given the ability to make that choice, not all of us will have the opportunity.

For me, today has always been a day of both sadness and joy. I am sad that many gave their lives for something bigger than life itself. And yet I am grateful–happy is too strong a word–that so many have done so willingly.

When someone rushes into a burning building to save occupants… when a teacher places himself between a shooter and his students… there is cause to celebrate our humanity.  And whenever we put the needs of others above our own, we are demonstrating and celebrating our humanity. It can start small. Letting someone else go first through the intersection or ahead of us in the line at the grocery store just might be, at some level, heroic even though you don’t have to die to do it.