TIME… It is said that time will heal all wounds, but that is not the case. Time only serves as a reminder. It is a reminder that the hurt is still there, but is somehow lessened by the fact that we still persevere. For those we honor on Memorial Day, time is a testament. It is the keystone on which the archway of our freedom is formed. As the passages of time roll on, we pause on this day and allow time to stand still.
When you turn back the hands of time, you find that that these brave men and women we have lost were, at one time, no different than you and I. Then, one day, they yielded to a calling that would take them from their homes, apartments, farms, families, pets, and previous lives. They set forth to become something different. In this moment, time stood still as they sacrificed the lives they had known in order to become something different.
Time stood still as they took the oath: “I, _____, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.”
Reborn as soldiers, they set out in defense of our country, our citizens, and our values. They endeavored to protect the freedoms we enjoy and the opportunities we seek. They stood up while others sat in the shadows. They fought where others fled. They died so our country could continue to live. In this moment, time stood still, as they sacrificed their lives so we could become something different.
They are now gone, but will never be forgotten because, on this day, time stands still. It stands still so we can honor what they fought for. It stands still so we can remember their sacrifice. It stands still for them. It stands still for us. In this moment, time stands still so we can remember those courageous men and women, and thank them for enabling us to become something different.