Memorial Day Remembrances

As tradition would have it, I visited cemeteries this Memorial Day weekend.

When I was a kid we would go to the cemetery where my father’s parents are buried. We would clean off the headstones, pull weeds, plant flowers, and light incense and candles. We would position a U.S. flag at the top of my grandfather’s headstone to proclaim his military service for all to see. He served in the U.S. Army in World War I even though he was an immigrant from Greece. Then we would go to a brief service in the cemetery performed by a Greek Orthodox priest. Finally the priest would come to my grandparents’ gravesite and say a few prayers (in Greek) while we listened and silently said our own prayers (my prayer was usually something like, “God, make us done with all this praying so we can go eat lunch at a restaurant.”) Then, my aunts and uncles, cousins, and my family would go to a restaurant and eat lunch. (My prayers answered.)

So this year, en route to an Open House in my hometown of Royal Oak (Michigan), we drove to the cemetery where my dad is interred. My husband, mother and I parked the car along the edge of the driveway and walked the few yards to my dad’s gravesite. Some things were reminiscent of the past and some things were very different. My husband cleaned off the headstone using his jackknife to clear dirt from the engraving. We poured water on the stone cleaning off grass cuttings. We placed a U.S. flag at the top of my dad’s headstone proclaiming his military service in the U.S. Army in World War II. We said a few silent prayers (my prayer was “God, be with my mom and comfort her as she needs right now.”)

And, after the Open House, we stopped into the cemetery where my mother-in-law is buried. Again, we cleaned the headstone, checked for weeds, and made sure the U.S. flag was waving over her gravesite to proclaim her military service in the U.S. Marines. She served during peacetime in the late 1950’s. We said a few silent prayers (my prayer, “God, help us live lives worthy of the sacrifice of the soldiers.”)

With all in order at the cemeteries, another Memorial Day has come and gone. But, my prayers for our U.S. servicemen and servicewomen continue. “God, bring them home safely.”

Summer Plans

A friend asked us what camping trips we have planned for this summer. The answer: “None.”

Summer is coming. For the last 25-plus years I’ve had to plan a summer trip, usually a camping trip. But, we sold our pop-up camper last summer. Maybe that was premature. I miss the trips and summer is not even here yet.

It was the logical, practical thing to do. Selling the camper while it was still in very good condition and knowing we would not be using it with the kids moving on into their adult lives, was fine. But, I did not realize the emotional toll it would take on me. We are approaching another summer and I have no plans. I know there are hotels and such, but those accommodations are so much more expensive than the camping option. Not only do you have to pay for the room, you have to buy food at restaurants. Packing our own food was a lot less expensive.

It’s not just the money thing that prevents planning a trip. Without the kids to “expose” to new and different events and/or sights, I don’t have any motivation for figuring out where to go. The campground was a good-enough destination for the kids with a pool or lake for swimming, campfires, hikes, or even just sitting around enjoying the fresh air. No television to distract, DVD player to tempt, or computers/internet to draw our attention. However when camping there is always a table upon which to set up marathon games of Risk, fire pits to build fires in for roasting hotdogs, and quiet in which we could read or have extended conversations.

Destinations also introduced our kids to historical events, geological phenomena, cultural differences, scientific discoveries, and so many other new things. Art museums, submarine tours, natural history museums, rock formations, wildlife, zoos, river-carved ravines, local cuisine, birds, fish, deer, historical museums, historical monuments, NASA, horseback riding, canoeing, etc. Our trips provided opportunities to learn things from map reading to outdoor cooking to getting along in cramped places. Now I have to figure out what might be interesting for me to go see. It was easier to figure out new things for the kids to go see and/or do.

So that’s where I am with my summer vacation plans. No camping trip(s), no trips at all. Time to figure this out. Time to plan a trip. Where should Mike and I go? Any ideas or suggestions? I’m open to ideas.