What is the greatest sacrifice you’ve ever made? 

I know sometimes it can seem like sparring even a moment is a huge sacrifice. But, really, when we think about it our time is a fraction of our lives. When I give you my time I am giving you a piece of my life. When a man and women get married they are sharing their lives. How much time we give is a good estimate of the value of the engagement.  

We can take for granted that there seems to be an endless string of days and weeks. There is always going to be another tomorrow. I can give you my time now because there is going to be more time later.  

But those men and women who gave their lives for us have no more tomorrows. We the people have a better today because they gave everything they had.  

It can be easy to overlook the sacrifice of others and go about our lives without considering what we have received. It’s a curse of the human condition. This hedonic treadmill allows us to adapt to the new surroundings which makes it easier to get back to normal, or a new normal. But it means that we all too easily forget the sacrifice of those who brought us the new normal. To this end we have holidays. Days that are set apart to remember what transpired so that we don’t forget. Special times of year to commemorate the extra effort or sacrifices of those who have gone before us and appreciate what we have been given.  

Memorial Day is just such a day to remind each other of the sacrifices of the men and women of the armed forces and their families. These men and women gave the ultimate sacrifice. They gave their life; they gave their all. And we pause on this day to remember.  

Giving one's life is the greatest gift. It is why the sacrifice of our Lord is so meaningful. It is why we pause and remember the lives that were sacrifices that we can have the rights and privileges to which we have become accustomed.