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So how many people partied this weekend for the Big Memorial Day Event? How many people actually remembered what the day was supposed to be for? What is Memorial Day for?

I was just sitting here this morning wondering how many people went out and celebrated a Holiday not knowing entirely what it was for? So often we see people getting drunk and playing sports and just having a good old time on this day. What is Memorial Day supposed to be for? Why DO we celebrate this occasion and why are people always having such a fun time on this day?

We do not teach our children that Memorial Day is a day to remember all of the soldiers who lost their lives defending our country and freedom. We do not teach them that this is the one day where, it isn’t only the parent of the soldiers that will often have a sad day, but friends and family of the loved and lost ones will as well.

We do not teach our children that the families of these lost soldiers are not only grieving on the day of the loss, but they grieve for the loss on many occasions Memorial Day being Nationwide.

Have you ever taken your child down to a cemetary and explained what the decorations are for on this sad occasion? I did. I took my son one year and the questions he asked were just overwhelming. He wanted to know why so many people were there and why so many of the “tombs” as he called them were decorated, when normally they weren’t as many “flowers and stuff” there. As we walked through the cemetary and I explained to him that they were there because this was the day that we Honored the soldiers that “died” in our wars, he suddenly became very interested! He wanted to know why we weren’t decorating anything. This was the first time I had ever just gone and done something crazy. We went to the store and we bought a flower for every lost Veteran there. We then placed the flowers on the gravesight(s) and left. By the time we were through with this, he was sure that we had done the right thing. Now each year my son likes to decorate and remember what the sad story and the “HERO’s” have done for us.

Looking back into my own childhood I can’t recall what we did on this day. I hadn’t gotten any kind of true understanding of the Holiday until I actually sat down with my own son and explained the reason for Memorial Day.  You often hear of people getting drunk and celebrating some party when, in reality, it shouldn’t be the party they are celebrating, it should be the freedom and the independance that we have that we are celebrating. It should be remembrance of the soldiers who gave their lives (willingly) for us to be here and have all of this.

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Now the other issue that we all too commonly see is drinking while we are celebrating. How many people actually go out and drink and party on this such sad occasion and drive? How many people do we often hear about where there are so many accidents and some involve children? I keep my kids off the streets as much as possible on these occasions.

I understand that it is all in good fun but, statistically it is tragic when you hear of a family that is driving home and the innocent are killed by drunk driving.

Did you know that Between the months of Memorial Day and Labor Day with the Fourth of July being a big one too, the period of time is often called the “100 deadly days of summer”? Does this tell us anything?  The next time you think of Drinking on these occasions why don’t you also plan to have a driver with you, or better yet, stay where you party. This could possibly save many lives including your own, and the most important, the children.

On average 45 people die a day and multiply that by 10 to get the number for holidays and special occasions. Especially on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July. The estimated reading for these accidents is the problem. The people aren’t even totally drunk. The BAC is often between .01 and .09. The problem here is that you don’t realize that even when you are slightly intoxicated you don’t realize the effect until it is too late. That just gives us something to think about. Like I said what does it really hurt if you have a DD or just stay with the party and pass out there. Especially if you could be saving a life. The next time you drink and drive, maybe just maybe you should ask yourself, Who will I be killing tonight? What kid is not going to have a parent tomorrow? What child is not going to have a sibling tomorrow? What child won’t be here to live out their life after tonight? Who am I going to take a life from tonight? It can happen. Unfortunately more so on Holidays than any other occasion, but remember, it CAN and More often than it needs to, it does!