Memorial Day or Decoration Day

As a young girl, I remember going to my grandparents' house with family and getting ready for Memorial Day. It was a special day for my family. We would bring large cans that we had been saving and put tin foil around the outside. Then we would go to my grandmother's garden. We would cut peonies, iris, and lilacs and place them in the covered tin cans.

Then came the travel time. We would take the flowers to nearby graveyards where we had family buried. It was always a serious time. We would walk around the graves to see if there was anyone we knew. We checked on dates and other interesting facts.

Now I make the trip with my husband. We travel to three cemeteries. We no longer fill large cans with live flowers. Instead we buy artificial wreaths or individual flowers to make arrangements. Now I am putting flowers on those graves of the loved ones I used to make this trip with. I feel this is a tradition that I want to continue for as long as possible.

The graves with flags mean so much to me. They are the ones that belong to people who have served their country. I am proud to see the sign on the back of my father's grave and the flag beside his stone. Memorial Day is a day that is special to me!