Memorial Day 2011

The Lone Bagpiper

Growing up, Memorial Day was always a big deal at our house.  Not a weekend for campouts, or boating, but for remembering those that have come before us.  My mom grew up without her father.  He died when she was just 2 1/2 due to his service in the military.  On my Dad's side 5 of 9 kids (or their spouses) served in some branch of the military, the most notable of those being Cliff Jolley. He was the first Air Guard Ace of the Korean war and has an exhibit dedicated to him in the Hill Aerospace Museum.  For those of you that live in UT, when you are on the freeway in Draper and pass the National Guard Base, a replica of his plane is sitting out front....

We have always used the day to honor those that have fought for the freedoms we enjoy, and even take for granted at times.

But it doesn't end there....

I have never known any of my grandparents.  My mom lost her dad at 2 1/2, then her mom when she was 17.  My dad was only 14 when his mother died, and even though his father lived until the late 1970's, he still died before I was born.

Memorial Day has always been a day set aside for us to get to know our grandparents a little better.  We would spend the day going from cemetery to cemetery placing flowers on each grave.  At each one we'd find a spot to sit and listen to stories.

Tim and I have continued this tradition, adding a few cemeteries to our route to visit the graves of his relatives.
This year we were able to coordinate our visits with my parents and my brother.  It was a lot of fun...and the kids got to know their family history a little better....

This year as an added bonus the cemetery where my Maternal Grandmother Urania Hazel Dixon is buried, they had free hot dogs.  It meant we took a lot longer than planned, but the kids enjoyed it...

One of the best parts of the day actually happened there at that cemetery.  They had a Field of Honor set up with flags for all those from Utah that have been killed protecting our freedom since Sept 11.  Each flag had a plaque with a name and a bio about the person.  It really helped the kids, particularly Alix, better understand the sacrifices people have made for us. The two of walked through the field of flags and had a really sweet conversation...

When we got up to the Salt Lake City Cemetery where my dad's parents are buried, I got out the tarps.
Their graves sit right under a VERY large pine tree, and over the years we have ended up with sap on countless pieces of clothing....  Not this time :)

I brought tarps and a blanket to sit on and we pulled out our picnic lunch.  We sat and ate while Grandpa told us stories about his parents.  He had ridden in the van with us and had told us a few stories on the way there.  Alix thought it was SO COOL that she could help Grandpa tell the stories to her cousins.

Visiting the graves of Oma and Opa was the hardest.  These are Tim's grandparents, and Oma just died last September.  The other graves were fun- a place to tell stories and learn.  Oma's was a place to remember.  She is the only one the kids personally knew.  In this picture Alix has her head in my lap crying.  She misses Oma.  We were able to have a really sweet conversation about our belief that we do not end at death.  That our spirits live on, and that families are forever.

In reality- this is why Memorial Day is a special day for us.  It gives us a chance to remember those that have come before us, and strengthens our resolve.  It reminds us we  want to make good choices here, so that we will be with them again after our own deaths.