Memorial @ MindSay

tomorrow I won't be online as friends from seattle are coming down. she is surviving stage four breast cancer and has turned her life into a walking blessing. so here are my thoughts on memorial day one day early.

having grown up in a beach town on the north shore of long island, memorial day was a big deal.  this meant school was over and the official beach season opened.  The day was marked with a morning parade, where veteran's marched ( some from WW1) and we all wore red paper poppies and waved small  flags. It seemed uniquely american and small town wonderful as afterwards there were back yard barbecues before we hit the beach. Braving the frigid water of long island sound was an ordeal and even when we turned blue and our teeth chattered we insisted we were not cold when admonished by the adults to come out of the water and warm up.  It also meant lightning bugs were not far away in time and that the barefoot days and late nights playing kick the can or "spud" were right on the horizon.

We didn't think about the people maimed or killed in war. we just thought about a lot of very well postured old guys talking about their war buddies. and of course at ten years of age none of it really sank in. But looking back to the trivial markers we , as children,  put on that weekend seems to strengthen my faith in being an American even when our government gets it all wrong. So while I intensely dislike Bush and his fascist cronies, I  thank all the men and women who served our country, gave limbs and lives and eyes and marriages and peaceful sleep for our country and people and I take a moment of silence and deep reflection about the human capacity to help, forgive, rebuild and prevail. And I hope Flander's Field is covered with poppies. I know mine are growing and doing well.

^^ That phrase didn't mean much to me freshman year of High School when I had to read Julius Caesar, but it sure does now.  3 years?  How did that happen?
We miss you, Ace.  I hope heaven is amazing.  You deserve nothing short of it.

Well, its Friday, March 7th. Tomorrow is the 8th. One year ago exactly that I lost my dad. I cant believe a year is gone..... there have been so many ups and downs.... This week has been hard....This whole year has just been something else....... There have been so many days stillthat I want to pick up the phone and call Dad. So many stories I want to hear over again...And I can't. if I dont remember them, they are gone. Always listen to your parents stories, cause one day they wont be around and you'll wish you had paid more attention......

I still need to get a memorial stone for the cemetary. I dont wnat him forgotten. He was cremated and scattered among old family members... We need a marker. Must contact the church and get this done.

my situation is different than most. My mother is mentally ill, and this year has been horrific. I know what Dad went through totally now. we only got the tip of it. he dealt 24/7 with it. Bi-Polar or Manic Depession, as it is known as, is a disease of the mind. it is horrible. for some reason, my mother has never had a NORMAL life even on meds. there was a period of about 7-8 years where nothing much happened, but over the past 6 years I'd say, its been worsening. Nothing seems to control either. Mom will be 70 this year. There is so much we went thru this year with her... I would have to write a book about it to tell it all and I dont have time for that. I dont have time for anything......

 I have been searching for a job for 2 weeks now and I think I finally got one today. The manager was supposed to call me tonight but she never did.... I hope she's not pulling my leg cause I need this job. I don't want to work...... but it has been said that I have to.... we dont meet our bills every month...we are behind.... sigh.... never ending.... so stressed out right now... and tomorrow is the 8th..... March... we lost father in law in March 2004.... I dont like March much...... Things are happening right now with my mom in March that I dont like.... its because of her disease, and it can be inheirted...passed on, and can skip generations.... there's still a lot I dont understand about the disease, never have, probably never will. I dont have a mother anymore, at least in spirit, shes there but not.....

 

One of the most abhorrent things I have recently read is that there is a consideration of using Islamist symbolism for the memorial intended for the victims of Islamist terrorism on Flight 93.

 

This is craziness and an insult to Americans everywhere!

 

Why not place a Cross on top that cubed memorial at the Ka’aba in Mecca to remember the victims slain by Muslim empire builders in the name of their prophet and their Allah.

 

O the sins of political correctness depart from us so that truth reigns.

 

JRH 2/4/08