The grave of a soldier who died in the service of his country is marked today with renewed expressions of family and friends whose hearts remain broken by their loss.
In the silence, I’m reminded of the value of a person. The cumulative assets of the whole world could not equal the life of that son, brother, and friend.
On returning home I’m reminded of the words of Solomon who wrote on the meaning of life:
“A good reputation is more valuable than the most expensive perfume. In the same way, the day you die is better than the day you are born.
It is better to spend your time at funerals than at festivals. For you are going to die, and you should think about it while there is still time.
Sorrow is better than laughter, for sadness has a refining influence on us.
A wise person thinks much about death, while the fool thinks only about having a good time now” (Ecclesiastes 7:1-4).
Reading those words again on this Memorial Day is a reminder that that the veterans whose lives we remember today are still serving. They are still reminding us that life is a journey soon remembered, not by what was taken, but by what was given.