I posted this on my personal Facebook page on Friday as a reminder for people to remember what Memorial Day is all about:
It was suppose to be a simple reminder and everyone on my friend’s list ‘get’s it’. They’ve watched me post about my cousin SGT Amanda Pinson over the years…or they knew her, were related to her, etc. There are also the ones that have lost their loved ones during a time of war so they ‘get it’ by proxy. Yet there is always that one person who feels the need to say something so full of ignorance that I shudder to think this mindset still exists.
Someone shared this particular post through a friend of a friend and some woman commented on it with the words, “Your grief is not everyone’s responsibility to bear”
I read those words (which were a comment within a comment) over and over and my mind was blown. I wanted to reply to her, but since the person who shared it wasn’t on my friend’s list… I couldn’t.
So I “vented” (if that’s even what you want to call it) on my personal Facebook page because it was insulting to me. Let me explain…
No one asked ANYONE to bear our grief, but what we asked was that our heroes be REMEMBERED. THAT is why it’s called MEMORIAL DAY.
The concept is that simple. Why? Because a lot of people don’t know what the ‘holiday’ represents. They think it’s a 3 day weekend of celebration, BBQ, etc. and while I have ZERO problem with that, all we ask is that they remember why we recognize Memorial Day. That’s it — just remember. Not grieve.
We wouldn’t put that grief on anyone’s plate — it’s a hard pill to swallow.
So what’s so wrong about asking people to remember? Remembering and grieving are two quite different things unless you are someone who has lost someone during a time of war. We know that. Trust me!
To say that to someone who has lost someone during a time of war just slays me. I understand not everyone “gets it”. Quite frankly I didn’t until we lost Amanda. However, I had respect & I knew what Memorial Day was all about…and that’s something this lady obviously doesn’t have.
Yet she has the freedom to say it because of those same people she should be remembering this weekend. She clearly doesn’t get it. She clearly doesn’t appreciate it. She clearly needs to learn respect.
