Memorial Day Memories

Every Memorial Day weekend, my mother and my siblings would make the trip to the graves. My grandparents (my father's side) that I never met were there, along with my father who died when I was one. Later, I realized Memorial Day was established to honor the soldiers killed in the wars, but for me, the weekend was more personal. It was a day to honor relatives I had no memories of in real life.

Both Dad and Grandpa had a second tombstone provided by the local veteran's association. Grandpa was in World War II and my Dad was in Korean.

It always freaked me out that my mother had put her name on the gravestone next to my father. He died over fifty years before she left us, and every year she visited his grave, her name was next to his. Was it a sign of love or connection, or had my practical mom been told it was cheaper to do it before the stone was set at the gravesite?

I'm thinking the later. I have that level of practicality in me as well. Something on sale? Buy ten just so you can save money. I hesitate before spending money on something fun or what I might think of as a want, not a need. I've always been that way, making my allowance go as far as possible. I even looked for sales during the book fairs. Why buy one book when you can get two?

I'm 1600 miles away from the cemetery where my family is buried but I'll be thinking of all of them today as I make my way through the to do list.

Do you visit graves on Memorial Day?