Holidays are times we remember the past, present, and days to come. We think about important people in our own lives and what they have given us. At the very least, they have given us a legacy of faith, that amalgamation of principles we trust when reacting to those improvisations we face every day. Faith is that entity that is the foundation of who each of us is.
Of course, any faith is only as strong as what one is trusting. Does one trust his gut feelings? That faith is only as strong as his gut feelings. How true are our gut feelings? Or, do we trust things outside of ourselves? Do we trust others, philosophies, or political narratives? How true or reliable are these? How is the plan going so far? Have we dared to trust God? Is God even relevant in our woke world today? When the chips are down, who or what do we trust?
We relive and revive family memories during holidays. We are who we are because of our family. As the vows reflect, family is for better or worse, richer or poorer, and in sickness and in health. Perhaps family affects our decisions more than any other aspect of our lives, especially in conjunction with a common faith. What has the family always believed in? It’s been good enough so far. Or, maybe not. One way or another family makes us who we are.
We don’t choose our family, but we choose our friends. Holidays are good times to spend with friends. How do we choose friends? Proximity is the first step. Do we live close together even when we’re miles apart? We certainly share a number of common beliefs and interests. Friends keep us straight or accountable. They offer counsel, sometimes wanted or needed, but sometimes not. Friends offer camaraderie, good times together as well as sharing the weight of bad times and sorrow.
Friends generally share a similar faith that strengthens the bond of friendship. True friendship overcomes philosophies or partisanship, neither of which offers a stable foundation for living. Stability is one of those things that’s so hard to find these days. The whole world seems to be intent on forcing us to see how our differences divide us. With all that the human race shares in common, one might think we’d fare better working together than being at odds with each other.
Perhaps no holiday makes us think about freedom as much as Memorial Day. We remember friends and family who sacrificed their lives to protect our freedom. No one can calculate or put a dollar amount on the price they paid for all of us, whether we express our appreciation or not. The price of freedom is the same for patriots as for those who disparage American rights and freedoms.
Patriotism and freedom go hand in glove in all free nations. Nevertheless, many who enjoy freedom in the freest nation on earth consider patriotism to be nothing more than a patronizing form of nationalism, an old fashioned idea that died with the greatest generation.
Faith, family, friends, and freedom are worthy of our holiday thoughts, especially on Memorial Day. As we enter the summer of 2023 Americans should spend more time thinking about the good things we’ve received.
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Daniel L. Gardner is a columnist who lives in Starkville, MS. You may contact him at PJandMe2@gmail.com.
