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| My youngest with my sister's youngest. |
Today is Memorial Day in the USA.
Memorial Day is set aside to honor and remember those who have died while
serving in the United States Armed Forces.
I confess, that while I have no
struggle with honoring and remembering people, I am deeply uncomfortable with
the United States Armed Forces.
However, it is easy for me to use
this day as a refreshing of, and reflection on, my passion for honoring and
remembering the value and complexities of being in service.
A desire to be in service, I
suggest, is innate in all of us.
But too often we refuse it. Or when
we choose it, it is by stepping into an oversized system that is built to
simulate a sense of being in service. Those systems almost always include
aspects and opportunities for true service but rarely are entirely holistic or
sustainable when put to the test of their proposed mission.
But we do all have an ability and
desire to be in service.
We can do this daily by being
willing to inconvenience ourselves, divert from our scheduled plans, even put
ourselves in danger, to take time with someone reaching out.
It is true that sometimes people
don't reach out until they are in a dangerous state. It is true that sometimes
we put ourselves in danger when choosing to meet them where they are and hope
to guide them to somewhere healthy. In these cases, be careful. Ask for help
yourself if you can. But on Memorial Day it serves us to remember that moving
into danger to be of service can be heroic. Can be, if we are careful and aware
of who we are risking our safety to help.
My youngest brother is highly
capable now, compared to where he was only years ago, and that is because a) he
works at it, has clear goals, and wants it b) he reaches out to me or my mom
when he needs guidance, ideas, calming down and c) trusts we will help.
My mom and I rarely are too busy for
him, even though we often are. And when we don't take the time to guide him out
of his misery, it is always with a belief in his ability to do it himself, not
pity or avoidance of him.
Memorial Day can be a day for us to
be in service. As we remember and honor the fallen vets, we can reach out to a
living disabled veteran, one struggling with addiction, P.T.S.D, depression, or
mobility issues. This will serve us equal to, if not more than, them.
And reflect on how accessible we
are. Every day, how accessible are we? How inclusive and accessible is the
world around us?
Make changes, ask others to make
changes.
This Memorial Day - honor and
remember and give gratitude to the fallen vets, and everyone who finds ways to
make being in service a lifestyle. We will all be fallen one day. Let's honor
those who have fallen before us. Who have been heroes and livers of intentional
inclusive lives in service to others.
And let's become a hero in service
ourselves.
“We
don’t grow sophisticated alone.” ~Dr.
Lynette Louise (“The Brain Broad”)
Hugs, smiles, and love!!
