As we take a day off from work and school, we also remember the men and women who defended our country and the people who continue to do so. Even though that is the general definition that puts Memorial Day into a nutshell, children often do not comprehend that too well, especially children who are not of school-age yet. However, I overheard a conversation between a mother and her daughter of about three or four that made me view the significance of this commemorative day in a brighter light.
Outside a local ice cream shop, I sit with my boyfriend eating ice cream talking about anything and everything when a family walks out of the shop. As the parents sit eating their ice cream, they help the two small girls with eating theirs. They were sitting down for about five minutes or so before the mother asked her four-year-old, "Now, Lily, why do we celebrate Memorial Day?"
With a little thinking and through several pauses, Lily answers by saying, "We celebrate the men and women that make our world a nice place."
That simple answer made me want to jump into her mind and see what she means by what she said and what that looks like to her. And the fact that she said men and women that protect the world blew me away, since the day is symbolized by the American flag and is just celebrated by America. I mean, she probably did mean America, but since she is just a child and probably has not been out of the country, she refers to the country as the world. The way that I took it was that there were people fighting all over the world for their country, even if they do not show the same amount of pride as the U.S.
Sure, the military has several branches and various different jobs that are occupied by so many people. People can go on and on about the specifics and details of the military, which are very intricate and require a lot of dedication, but what it all comes down to is that they make the world/country a nice place to live in. I have become more grateful and appreciative of our troops just because of a simple phrase.
This is the perfect way to teach young children the meaning of Memorial Day. The specifics can come later, but maybe because we teach our children this so early they might want to be one of those men and women. If not that, they will learn to establish a way of giving donations to the military, even if it is a small amount. Our troops support us, so we should support them in any way we can.
