Memorial Day is being celebrated this weekend in the United States.  For many, it’s the beginning of summer and the first out-door camping trip of the year.  It’s the end of the school year, graduation and the beginning of long, summer days.

But Memorial Day is about honoring the servicemen and women who have fought and died for our country.  This day was originally called Decoration Day to commemorate all the fallen soldiers from both the North and South, during the U.S. Civil War.  It’s a day to remember our fallen heroes and loved ones who gave their all in service to their country.

I’d like you to join me for a few moments of silence and intentional thought or prayer, to honor their memory, service and sacrifice. In those moments of silence or prayer, ask for additional Love, Light and the Oneness of the Divine to be infused in them and in us all.

This day is one that my family has always honored and respected.  It was a time to tell the stories of friends and loved ones from generations long gone.  It was a way of remembering not just those who had given their lives in battle, but also those who had come before us and had ultimately given us life.

Visiting the cemeteries where my great great-grandparents, great grandparents, extended family members, and so many of their friends were buried, was something akin to a pilgrimage we did every year.  We brought flowers to decorate their graves and yard tools to make sure the headstones were cleared of creeping grasses and properly tended.

Each year the cemeteries were a glorious site to behold!  US flags, pinwheels, tens of thousands of flower decorations, balloons and other types of decorations make the entire day seem bright, beautiful and almost a holiday affair.  We’d meet other family members, cousins, aunts and uncles and sharing stories about those who had already left us.  I often heard about my pioneer ancestors, their trials and successes, and those stories always made them seem like dear loved ones, even though we’d never physically met.

And for me, being able to see all the spirits come out to visit and connect with their still-living relatives was something so magical and mystical!  The air shimmered with their presence and love.  It always felt like continuity to me.  A blessed connection and communion of sorts. Knowing that even though our bodies might die, we do not.  I always felt their joyousness in seeing their future generations, and knowing that they were still remembered. That has always been a comfort to me.

This year I would also like to include in my day of remembrance all those who have ever served their country.  Especially those brave men and women of the world who strive for peace.  Those who have served and who have come home in pain or who have been wounded.  You are not un-noticed.  I see you.  You are not forgotten. I remember you.

As you courageously live each and every day, rebuilding your lives, raising your families, choosing peace and happiness as your way of living, I pay tribute to you for all you have been through and endured.  The sacrifices your families have made in order for you to serve have been made out of love, and carried out with endurance and quiet strength.

It is my wish, my hope, my desire – perhaps naively – that someday soon we will be able to find both the personal and world peace we all deeply desire so that no more lives are lost on the battlefield.  So that no one has to live with the emotional or physical pain and suffering as a result of war and conflict.

And so I want to share with you a beautiful poem entitled Wave of Peace, by Aufie Zophy.

Wave of Peace

Peace

I dream
of a wave of peace

A giant wave
Reaching beyond the fences
Moving deep inside

A wonderful wave
Drenching all the minds
Penetrating deep in hearts
Changing souls forever

A tsunami
Devastating all walls of greed
Destructive to violent thoughts
Ripping apart perversion
Erasing arrogance

A wave of peace, streaming
enveloping the world
Softening hearts
Wisening leaders

Just peace
Dare to dream with me
Let us all pray together

Let’s dream and believe
In a wave of peace

An awesome wave of peace