O Say Can You See By the Dawns Early Light

This morning I finally attended the Sully County Memorial Day Program. Every year, I was supposed to attend with my mom. Every year, something came up, so finally this year, we went and went to all of the festivities except the free lunch. Unfortunately, there weren't a lot of people in attendance. That is really too bad because I think all citizens should show more patriotism. Memorial Day is not just another day off, it's a day to reflect and honor all the service men and people who have died. The people who have changed and shaped our world-even if it was just a little bit. Another sad part is the lack of young people who recognize Memorial Day by putting flowers out on graves. When I was a child, my mom would drive over 40 miles one way to put flowers on relatives graves in other towns. Some of the relatives she had never met, but still honored her descendants. Even the cemetery in Onida didn't have as many flowers out on graves as they did when I was a kid. Most of the people who always put flowers out have either moved or died. The sad part about our upcoming generations is the lack of honor, pride, and patriotism of our country and family. How can people really understand who they are until they know where they've come from?

I came from two honorable families. The Jonas side of the family understands the importance of family and we get together every year for a reunion. Mom's side of the family is more spread out and we don't get together as much as we would all like, but our mom has made sure we know who our family was and where they came from. Knowing my family history has made me a better person and it makes me want to uphold the family names and legacy.