Happy Memorial Day! 

I hope you and your family enjoyed a wonderful Monday, Memorial Day 2024! 

For many, it is a day for family and friends to get-together by firing-up the grill and inviting others over for fun and laughter. A time to celebrate a day off from work for many and talk about or focus on the good times. It is a time to share memories with our family, friends and, optimistically, talk about the good times that could happen over the summer.

One item we all must remember is why “Memorial Day” exists in America. We must remember that the reason we have Memorial Day is to celebrate the freedoms we are able to share in our lives today because of others who have gave so much to us yesterday. 

If we take a minute and review the origins of Memorial Day from VA.Gov, we can see that it may have started as Decoration Day on May 5, 1868 by the head of an organization of Union Veterans. It started under the name of Decoration Day as a time for the nation to decorate the graves of those that gave their life, for today’s freedoms, with flowers.

Another memorial tribute, a couple of years earlier, was claimed in Columbus, MS. Today, over 25 other locations claim to be the birthplace of Memorial Day. 

The VA.Gov site from above also states that in 1966, Congress and President Lyndon Johnson declared Waterloo, N.Y., the “birthplace” of Memorial Day. There, a ceremony on May 5, 1866, honored local veterans who had fought in the Civil War.

It was not until after World War I, however, that the day was expanded to honor those who have died in all American wars. In 1971, Memorial Day was declared a national holiday by an act of Congress though it is still often called Decoration Day. At that time, it was also placed on the national calendar as the last Monday in May, as other federal holidays were also moved to a Monday. 

It is a Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, when we can celebrate, and remember those that stood up against others for, our freedoms. 

Many of our mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, sisters, brothers, children, other family members or friends stood strong in the wars that give the United States the freedoms we can enjoy today. 

Howard William Osterkamp is given credit for the quote “All gave some, some gave all.” 

A t-shirt I bought years ago, added a finishing touch to that quote with: “Though we May not know them all, we owe them all.” 

“All gave some, some gave all. Though we may not know them all, we owe them all.” 

Who did something nice for us today? Who did something nice for us yesterday? Last week? Last month? Last year? Did we all say thank you for any of their kindness? 

Too many times we go through life thinking we “deserve” the niceness that someone gives us or said to us. Too many times we may think that we were nice to someone sometime previously and it is “about time” someone is nice to us. There may be times we think that some person did something wrong previously and it is “about time” they were nice to one, or all, of us. 

If we want others to be nice to us, isn’t it “about time” we are caring, helping, including or nice to them? 

Yes, we can be focused on including a family member, a friend or even a stranger in a restaurant or on the street.  

Have we thought about how we, ourselves, can be Caring, Helping and Including to others as we are Achieving Unity by Ending Anger, Hate and Prejudice toward others? 

Many of our family, friends and ancestors stood up for us, including today, by putting their lives on the line for our freedoms. What does it take for us to stand up for others? What does it take for each of us to stand up and be caring, helping and including to others? 

Others have stood up for us to give us the opportunity to enjoy the freedoms we have today. What does it take for us to just smile at someone we do not know or even share a pleasant smile toward someone who we may think did us wrong? Can we tell them thank you for anything they have done that they may have thought could be a benefit to us? 

I may be considered lucky but I hope not. I have a large family and we do celebrate Memorial Day together by firing up the grill. One party on Sunday afternoon, after church, and another party on Monday. We were able to celebrate a day off from work for many and we did talk about the good times. It was a time of sharing, and creating, memories with our families, friends and we also talked optimistically about the good times we can create over the summer.

How do you feel right now about your best friend, family, other friends, husband, partner, significant other or wife? I hope you were able to take a caring moment and, even if you were not able to invite them over and fire up your grill, you talked with them, called them or sent them a text directly or through social media to tell them Happy Memorial Day, 2024. 

Many of our ancestors, family and friends have stood up, and are continuing to stand up today, for us to achieve the beautiful life that is available to us all today. Let us say thank you to them through a memorial moment or help them have a memorial day. A day where we can be focused on remembering the good in each of us. 

If you, or someone you know, is encountering troubling times today or if you have been a victim caused by another and would like to learn more about transforming the challenges of today into a better tomorrow, please schedule time with me immediately. I coach and collaborate with individuals, parents, groups, corporations and enterprises as a Sr. Transformational Coach to develop new habits and sustainable improvements as we resolve issues by creating solutions at home, in the office and socially.  

I would also be honored to speak at your next event on “Achieving Unity: It is not Rocket Science.” I want to work with you to speak to as many Associations, Corporations and Colleges/Universities as possible. Do you, or someone you know, schedule speaking events? Please let me know. 

I am looking forward to talking with you today at 303-362-8733 (303-Focused) or whichever communication channel works best for you. 

Email: [email protected]

Website: http://www.AchievingUnity.com/ 

Calendar: https://www.Calendly.com/MarkEntrekin  

How would you like to feel when you say Happy Memorial Day in 2025? Where would you like to be?