Memorial Day, more than just a barbecue and a holiday!

Today, as flags wave in the wind and families gather around grills, I pause with a heavy heart and a deep sense of gratitude.

Memorial Day is not just a long weekend or a chance to snag sales at the mall. It is a sacred moment to remember the men and women who gave everything—their breath, their future, their dreams—to protect the very freedoms we often take for granted. The democracy we enjoy in the United States was built and defended by those who stood on the front lines, many of whom never came home.

For me, this day isn’t abstract.

I know what it feels like to get that phone call. I know the ache of watching family members grieve over someone who left in uniform and never returned. I’ve seen the long-term weight that combat carries—two of my family members live with life-altering disabilities, daily reminders of the sacrifices they made on behalf of all of us.

The pain doesn’t end when the war does. It lingers in hospital rooms, in quiet tears behind closed doors, in the resilience required to learn to walk again or face life with invisible scars.

So no, Memorial Day is not just about hotdogs and barbecues.

It’s about the young man who never got to be a father.
It’s about the daughter who carried her dad’s folded flag out of a crowded church.
It’s about the brave women and men who signed up knowing the risks—and still said, “Yes.”

It’s also about us—the living. The ones who carry their memory forward, who speak their names, and who hold space for their sacrifice.

If you’re reading this, I ask you to take a moment today.
Not just a moment of silence, but a moment of action.
Teach your children why this day exists. Thank a veteran. Support a military family. Vote to protect the freedoms they fought for. Live your life in a way that honors their sacrifice.

Freedom has never been free. It has always come with a cost.

Let us never forget who paid it.

🇺🇸 In remembrance. In gratitude. Forever.