We Now Stand in The Silence: Memorial Day

Each year, as the last Monday in May arrives, we find ourselves pausing. Flags fly at half-mast, parades march through town squares, and cemeteries are dotted with small American flags… each one marking a life that once stood in defense of something greater than themselves. and this upcoming weekend, we are compelled to stand in the silence.

Memorial Day isn’t just a day off from work, or the unofficial start of summer. It’s something deeper, something quieter, more sacred.

we now stand in the silence for those that stood in our defense

We stand for the ones who put on the uniform knowing full well that they might not return. We remember those who said goodbye to their families with hugs that lingered too long and eyes that blinked back tears. We hold in our hearts the young, the brave, the selfless, those who laid down everything so that we could wake up each morning in a free country.

And our remembering isn’t passive. We now Stand in this silence.

It’s in the way we speak their names.
in the wreaths we lay, the stories we share, the silence we hold at 3:00 p.m. on Memorial Day.
or in the questions we ask our elders and the answers we pass on to our children.

We remember not to glorify war, but to honor sacrifice.
Not to mourn only, but to live in a way that honors the lives they never got to finish.

This year, as we gather in backyards or walk through sunlit cemeteries, let’s carry with us the weight of gratitude. Let’s pause not just for a moment of silence, but for a moment of reflection. Let’s feel the cost of our freedom – not in guilt, but in deep and lasting appreciation. Let’s Stand for those that stood for us.

To the fallen: we remember you.
To the families who carry the weight of loss: we honor you.
To the freedom you died to protect: we will never take it for granted.

Thank you.

—
Written in remembrance. Forever in gratitude.
Memorial Day, 2025