Remembering Holidays

Holidays are pretty much business-as-usual in my life -- no picnics, no parades, no fireworks, no company or family gatherings.

But when I was a little kid, Decoration Day or Memorial Day was special. It was usually a crisp but sunny day in our corner of Pennsylvania. We lived on top a hill and I could hear bands -- plural! -- tuning up and getting ready to parade to the cemetery near our house. It was with great excitement that we'd trek down the hill to find a good place to watch the parade. And there always seemed to be a crowd to watch and follow the end of the parade up to the cemetery to the elliptical memorial park to hear speeches and watch the veterans fire a salute.

The flags, the uniforms, the flowers all left an impression on me. With regret I'd follow my parents, not going the same way most of the crowds went, but to the side gate which was three houses away from our home.

It's just not the same any more. The scale is smaller, the distractions greater. I don't think it's just me... I wish there were wonderful holidays like there used to be.