I get Monday off.
To get that day off, thousands of American’s gave their lives on the battlefield, in the air and on the sea. They faced fear, terror, pain, thirst and exhaustion. But they did their jobs and paid dearly.
I get Monday off.
I guess I could cookout. Or I could hit the beach.
I think of all the men who hit the beach in Normandy, Pelelui, Tarawa and Italy. I can’t imagine the chaos. But they kept running forward until they could run no more. Now they are silent sentinels in gardens of stone. The wrote the ultimate blank check to our country. And that check was cashed.
We live in a narcissistic age. We worry about trivial things and ignore problems around us. We’re angry and vent on social media. Our phones have our attention as we take selfies.
Monday is a holiday that honors just the opposite — It’s honors sacrifice for others.
And because someone else sacrificed for me, I get Monday off. I’ll celebrate accordingly.