Friday, May 24, 2013

Memorial Day at the Cemetery

With Memorial Day weekend upon us, I hope we will all take time to reflect on the reason for the holiday.

One of the traditions in my family when growing up was to visit the family graves.  Because we lived in a part of the country where winter could linger well into June, Memorial Day weekend was the perfect time to clean up after the long winter and place flowers.  It's heartening to hear about the various celebrations taking place in the Twin Cities at the various cemeteries, and to read that volunteers are out all weekend placing flags.  I used to love all of the flags fluttering in the breeze, not knowing as a child what the real significance of this beauty represented.

My Dinkel grandparents, Benjamin Ernest and Ella Helene are buried in Forest Hill Cemetery in Duluth, MN.  It is truly one of the most beautiful and peaceful places, and it was such a joy to visit every year.  This is a picture of my grandparent's grave, and from left to right; my brothers Jeff and Tim, and me taken in 1961.  Looks like the picture was developed in September, but was actually taken on Memorial Day, which is the only time we would visit.  In the background was the pond where we could feed the ducks, geese, and swans.  Always a happy memory.

If you have a few moments this weekend, I hope you will take some time to visit family at the cemetery, or just stop by one of the many celebrations taking place on Memorial Day.


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