For most of my life, Memorial Day represented the end of school and the beginning of summer.
But did you know Memorial Day dates back to the Civil War and was declared a national holiday by Congress in 1971?
Memorial Day honors all military members who died in service to our country.
It’s a profound and meaningful holiday.
And it’s good for us.
How so, you might ask?
I recently attended a funeral in a small town in Ohio.
As we were driving in the procession to the cemetery, I noticed cars on the opposite side of the road pulling over and waiting for us to pass.
A few even got out of their cars and stood with their hands over their hearts.
I’d never seen this before, and I was undone.
It brings me to tears remembering it.
People stopped the busyness of their day to acknowledge and honor a stranger's life.
It was a beautiful act of reverence and respect that illuminated the sacredness of life and the dignity of death.
It made me grateful to be alive and to witness the kindness and generosity of human beings.
I was reminded that it’s all around us if we train our brains to see it.
Plenty of people didn’t stop, but the ones who did were what I CHOSE to notice.
Why would I want to train my brain to notice awe-inspiring moments?
Other than it feels really good?
It makes me want to be a better person.
To live more.
Give more and receive more.
Slow down. Notice. Receive.
Notice the random acts of kindness as simple as a smile from a stranger or a child's wave.
We are here to connect, and these are the gifts we cherish and remember at the end of life.
It’s what makes life worth living when we go through difficult times.
There is goodness. There is love. There is light in the darkness.
It’s all around us if we look for it.
And we always have the opportunity to see and be the light.
Knowing this type of kindness makes my life a little better and makes me want to do something similar to pass it on.
Small things make a difference.
When we make someone’s life better, they can take care of and help others better.
Imagine a society where we all stop and show profound respect to complete strangers.
How would that make the world a better place?
This is the effect of simple human kindness.
So on this day of remembrance and every day, stop being in such a hurry and take time to notice others.
Make eye contact. Give a smile.
Honor each other’s humanity.
What a privilege it is to be able to do so.
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