Honor the Dead by Supporting the Living

While at church yesterday a parishioner wished me a Happy Veterans Day.

It may have been a slip of the tongue but in reality all too many Americans confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. The easiest rule to remember is that "Memorial Day is for the dead and Veterans Day is for the living".

Beyond that we should always remember that honoring our dead goes beyond just one day out of the year. Each day we can do something to honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for us to remain free. We can and should do any number of activities in memory of our fallen.

They can include:

• Visiting a VA hospital

• Collecting clothing for a stand down

• Conducting a Move-in-Essential Collection Drive

• Providing food items for a VA pantry

• Support Military Caregivers

• Praying for those who serve and have served us

There is of course much more that you can do but the above can be a good start.

So as we reflect on this Memorial Day 2019 let us always remember that in this and every day we can, in the words of Lincoln, "...honor our dead by supporting the living."

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Note: Veterans Day is always November 11th.