Here in the USA we will be observing Memorial Day this weekend. Officially, it is a day to commemorate the courage and sacrifice of all who died serving in the armed forces over the years… but to me it has always had a much wider scope.
When I was a child, the elders of the family would take flowers to the graves of all our deceased relatives on Memorial Day. So, in my mind it was a day for remembering and honoring all the loved ones who had passed from this earthly plane.
This day offers far more than an occasion to remember or revere the past. It can be a reminder and an opportunity to seize the present, and to create a future free from unnecessary regrets.
How many times have we put off saying or doing something kind, only to find that the opportunity never came again? I invite you to reflect on this poem by Leigh M. Hodges:
Give them the flowers now
Closed eyes can’t see the white roses,
Cold hands can’t hold them, you know,
Breath that is stilled cannot gather
The odors that sweet from them blow
Death, with a peace beyond dreaming,
Its children of earth doth endow;
Life is the time we can help them,
So give them the flowers now!Here are the struggles and striving,
Here are the cares and the tears;
Now is the time to be smoothing
The frowns and the furrows and fears.
What to closed ears are kind sayings?
What to hushed heart is deep vow?
Naught can avail after parting,
So give them the flowers now!Just a kind word or a greeting,
Just a warm grasp or a smile –
These are the flowers that will lighten
The burdens for many a mile.
After the journey is over
What is the use of them; how
Can they carry them who must be carried?
Oh, give them the flowers now!Blooms from the happy heart’s garden
Plucked in the spirit of love,
Blooms that are earthly reflections
Of flowers that blossom above –
Words cannot tell what a measure
Of blessing such gifts will allow
To dwell in the lives of many,
So give them the flowers now!
Remember the living, my friends. Build memories worth keeping while you have the opportunity. Give of your love, your warmth, your forgiveness, your encouragement, your support — while you and your dear ones can still benefit.
Blessings to all.
