Memorial Day is a holiday set aside that honors armed service personnel who have died. As it is a solemn occasion, you wouldn’t want to say “happy Memorial Day” to someone. The differences in the armed forces holidays were once explained to me like this: Armed Forces Day celebrates those currently serving, Veteran’s Day celebrates those who HAVE served in the past, and Memorial Day commemorates those who were killed in action.

Unfortunately, in our modern culture, it’s become a day off and the unofficial start of summer: a time for cookouts, lake days, and partying. This Memorial Day, I’d like to challenge everyone to spend some time reflecting on your freedoms and those who died to make them possible.