Friday, May 28, 2010

On Monday most American's celebrate Memorial Day, however, this holiday started off as a somber day of remembrance. Remember that.

Nina Amir, a holiday and spirituality expert and the author of the forthcoming book 7 Steps to Creating Your Soul's Desire, How to Find Your Divine Purpose and Fulfill It, reminds U.S. citizens, "In the past, on Memorial Day we went to cemeteries and placed flags or flowers on the graves of those who died in battle or in some way during the course of war. We remembered our ancestors, family members, loved ones, and even unknown soldiers who gave the ultimate sacrifice for us. They died for our freedom. Possibly they died to help give freedom to someone else as well."

Today, many people actually "celebrate" this day with little thought about it's original purpose or meaning. They have picnics and parties. They enjoy the fact that they have a three-day weekend without ever stopping to consider why.

"This holiday came with a price—and is no cause for celebration. The fact that we have a day off should be for one reason only: as a memorial," says Amir. "From what I can discern, there have been approximately 654,446 Americans in uniform killed under arms between 1775 and 2008 and another 525,930 who died while performing military service other than combat during that time. These numbers don't include those lost in Iraq after May 2008. It's true, freedom is never free."

Since we have other national days of celebration but only one Memorial Day, she suggest "We should use it as such, putting the 'memorial back in Memorial Day,' as I've heard it said."

To do this, she suggests, "Go back to cemeteries of the fallen and places flags or flowers on their graves, visit war memorials, and support the care of these cemeteries and memorials. Do something totally related to the holiday. Remember that while most of us are the beneficiaries of the sacrifice made by those who gave their lives, most of us also are untouched by that loss. There are those whose lives have been deeply touched by the loss…such as the families and friends of the fallen soldiers. A wonderful way to make Memorial Day more meaningful involves reaching out to these people. I'm sure that more often than not they feel their loss goes unnoticed and unappreciated."

In light of this, she also suggests the following: Bring the families of fallen soldiers a thank you card, place flowers and a note at their door, cook them a meal, or simply go to visit them.

"Whatever you do, don't just go out and have a picnic or party and celebrate. That's not what Memorial Day is all about. Remember that. Remember," she concludes.

Amir, is a seasoned journalist, author, inspirational and human potential speaker, and a conscious creation coach. Additionally, she writes a column as the San Jose Jewish Examiner.com, and appears once a month as the holiday and spirituality expert on Conversations with Mrs. Claus, a weekly podcast heard in more than 90 countries and downloaded by 110,000 listeners per month. Through her writing and speaking, Amir offers human potential, personal growth and practical spiritual tools from a Jewish perspective, although her work spans religious lines and is pertinent to people of all faiths and spiritual traditions. In all she does, Amir strives to help people live fully and feel the Divine Presence in their lives every day.