Reflection Pools to Swimming Pools

Ask almost any kid about what Memorial Day is and three quick answers emerge, "Its a day school's out"," My parents have the day off because it's a holiday", and "It's the day the city pool opens for the summer". All three are correct answers and would be repeated by a majority of kids from tots to teens all over this great country. Once again we are reminded that kids agree with each other on a lot more things than adults. Funny, because it's adults that teach kids about holidays and what they mean or why we recognize or set them aside as being different from regular days. We all know that adults don't agree with each other as well as kids do, so how have we done so well with this particular day? Well lets reflect on that a moment!

Let's ask our same group of kids about "What is a reflection pool? "Where can we find one?" and "Why do we have reflection pools?". Again our kids would answer to the best of their knowledge and agreeing with each other just as they have been taught, "Its like a wading pool but cement!", "At the Rose Garden in the park!" and "So you can see your face in the water with the roses!". Once again we have three correct answers and they would be repeated by a majority of the kids we asked. Maybe if we reflect on these six questions and answers we might see a reflection on ourselves that we are not as happy with as we thought we were.

If you want to change that reflection of yourself you're thinking about, I'd like to give you some other pools and reflections to think about all reflecting on a not too distant past. A circular reflection pool that is surrounded by round white columns reflecting the Great Campaigns at the World War II Memorial. Stand and look into the reflection of the eyes of each member of the Platoon that follow you as walk around the Korean War Memorial. Look deep into the Black Granite Wall to see your own reflection among the more than 58,200 names at the Viet Nam Memorial. Take a minute and reflect on a young American Teen in the uniform of his country hunkered down in a sand storm in Iraq or Afghanistan thinking how good that cool water would feel in the city pool back home. Listen to the reflection of the sound from the heel plates of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. These are all reflections of the price of freedom and why Memorial Day is set aside so that we may pause to reflect on that price.

When a young man or woman puts on the uniform of and swears an oath to their country, they sign a check knowing that they may be called upon to make "payment in full" on their account which is life. A reflection on that account can be seen in the many flags and badges that are a part of the "Dress Parade" at the finial resting place of these heroes all across our nation on Memorial Day. They are placed there by their brothers and sisters in arms or by families who understand "what the price of freedom is" on the amount line of their loved ones check.

On Monday before you head out to the pool, put the boat on the lake or light that bar-b-que take a moment to reflect on why you can do these things on this holiday. In each time zone around the world this Monday when the hour reaches 3pm take a moment to reflect on the day with your family by pausing from whatever your doing and join us in observing a "National Moment of Remembrance"! Comparatively it is a small price to pay to honor those that gave us so much. Remember that for our freedom "All gave some, some gave All"!

God Bless each of them! & God Bless America!

"Fair winds and following seas!"