In all honesty, I must confess I am COVID-weary. While I enjoy occasionally recharging with quiet, alone time, I am very much a people person and beyond ready to see and hug others—I truly miss my friends, family, and community. Zoom and Facetime are great tools but they do not compare to in-person quality time.

Today is Memorial Day and in our culture, we use this to signal the beginning of summer. In “normal” times friends and family might gather in backyards, parks, around swimming pools, lakes, and BBQ grills.

The true meaning of this day lies in the remembrance and honor of service men and women who gave their lives as a sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy every day. This virus has been a good reminder of all the things in life I take for granted—seeing people face to face, gathering in person for worship, traveling, eating out, going to concerts, etc.

Today I need to push aside my pandemic weariness and instead of lamenting three months of upset to my usual life routine, think about the brave service people who showed up and faced the enemy so I/we may live in freedom. Let this day be a good reminder to put my worries about the future in perspective.

They fought in the name of freedom for people they didn’t know, present and future. What a gift we can never repay.

Remembering to be grateful today for the sacrifice that made possible a life of freedom puts these temporary life delays and changes in their place.

May we all be inspired to remember those who went courageously before us.

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