The meaning of Memorial Day

Once again it's memorial day. Most young people just see it as a day off from school, and I admit, I used to be one of them. But given the recent events that brought the need for protection and the Military closer to us and everyone around us, more and more people appreciate the men and women of the military and what they are doing for us.

After experiencing 9/11 many people just came to understand what it is like to be the victim of a terror attack. To most it usually is a sad event written in black on paper or a screen, or even some hurried pictures of people in anguish and pain. But once you are affected by it personally, be it directly or through others, you realize that those pictures and even the sound you hear on the TV just don't do any justice to the real feeling of terror and fright. For once we understand just how save and protected we were, how sheltered a live we lived, how we took our bliss and happiness for granted. And I guess that is why Memorial Day was invented, because unfortunately, the better the protection the less people often realize the work that is behind it. That doesn't mean we are bad people, it just means that the people that are protecting us are doing a great job. Exactly the reason why we should thank them on Memorial Day - not only for what they are doing right now, but also for what they and others have done, maybe even before we can remember.