The truth is, I often forget to remember. But I’m not talking about the little things in life, an item left off the grocery list or the reason I walked into a room in the first place. No, this is a different kind of forgetting. The kind that, on a day like today, calls for a reset. A return to what the colors red, white, and blue have always stood for. A reminder of something old, faithful, and worth holding onto.
There are moments in history that leave a permanent mark on a nation. Moments that cause Americans to fly the flag a little higher and stand a little closer together. Times when we set aside our differences, stand shoulder to shoulder, and remember the heroes who gave everything in wars past and present conflicts. Memorial Day 2026 is one of those moments. A day to pause and remember.
But what do you remember?
If I were sitting across from you right now, maybe you would share the story of an uncle, aunt, brother, sister, parent, grandparent, or friend who served honorably and bravely. Stories of sacrifice, courage, and homecomings — or perhaps stories of those who never made it home at all. Those are the stories worth hearing, worth telling, and worth remembering forward.
For me, Memorial Day has always been about honoring those who paid the ultimate price so that I could enjoy the freedoms they fought for on the battlefield. It is remembering the men and women who never came home to enjoy the ordinary blessings we often take for granted: a walk through the park, the smell of rain before it falls, ripples across the lake at sunset, the scent of hotdogs at a ballgame, sweat on the brow after mowing the yard, or the sweetness of an ice-cold glass of tea beneath the shade tree in the front yard.
Those simple moments are freedoms purchased at a cost.
I imagine those brothers and sisters in arms smiling as they watch us enjoy those freedoms in their honor.
A day like today should not feel like any other day.
It should not simply be a day to sleep in late, because somewhere, reveille would have sounded long before sunrise. It should be a day where we slow down long enough to hear every note, stop what we are doing, face the flag, and honor the sound of “Taps” as it drifts across the evening sky.
Instead of bumper-to-bumper traffic, perhaps we should remember the cadence of boots striking pavement during an early morning platoon run. Instead of seeing today as just another cookout, maybe it can remind us of chow shared among comrades far from home. A relaxing day at the lake may seem ordinary to us, but for many service members, peace itself was once a distant hope in the middle of uncertainty and sacrifice.
Today should not simply be another afternoon unfolding lawn chairs in the yard. It should be a reminder of the joy of stepping back onto American soil after months away. It should not just be another quick embrace with family, but a reflection of those unforgettable airport reunions; tears, laughter, signs held high, and loved ones sprinting toward one another after long separations.
Most of all, it should be a day to honor those who can no longer experience any of these things for themselves.
So maybe before this Memorial Day comes to a close, you revisit a familiar song like “Chicken Fried” by the Zac Brown Band and let its simple gratitude sink in a little deeper. And maybe, as the sun sets, you pause long enough to hear or even play “Taps” in remembrance of those who paid the price for the freedoms we enjoy today.
May we never forget them.
And may we remember it forward.
