“For the Fallen”
Posted: May 26, 2014 Filed under: Meditation | Tags: Memorial Day, Omaha, thank you, veterans 9 Comments–
All meaning is drained from Memorial Day, so easily. When the day it falls on is perfect and blue, Memorial Day springs from kindness and love, shared emotions and experiences, each one marking pure joy or our deepest agony.
A few holidays survive the slow, cruel passage of time. Many others become ancient, irrelevant, taboo, and forgotten.
…
“For the Fallen”
With proud thanksgiving, a mother for her children,
England mourns for her dead across the sea.
Flesh of her flesh they were, spirit of her spirit,
Fallen in the cause of the free.
Solemn the drums thrill;
Death august and royal
Sings sorrow up into immortal spheres,
There is music in the midst of desolation
And a glory that shines upon our tears.
They went with songs to the battle, they were young,
Straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow.
They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted;
They fell with their faces to the foe.
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.
They mingle not with their laughing comrades again;
They sit no more at familiar tables of home;
They have no lot in our labour of the day-time; They sleep beyond England’s foam.
But where our desires are and our hopes profound,
Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight,
To the innermost heart of their own land they are known
As the stars are known to the Night;
As the stars that shall be bright when we are dust,
Moving in marches upon the heavenly plain;
As the stars that are starry in the time of our darkness,
To the end, to the end, they remain.
Daily Meditation:
To those of you who have faithfully served – Thank you.
CultFit 
Thank you for this. I honor you, my Dad, my uncle, my husband’s Dad, and all those women and men of awesome courage who offered themselves for a greater cause. Some came home to families, some did not return. Bless them all.
I take a lot of pride being able to show up to work each morning, working alongside these brave men and women. 🙂
I cannot even imagine how amazing that is. 🙂
♥ I have been surrounded by courageous people who have served and I am never able to express my feelings truly. My ex is military, still is, and will serve 20plus years. My current BF is a vet, infantry vet… if you can imagine. He was in the first troops dropped in Afghanistan after 9/11 He has seen the ugliness of man and it has changed him forever.
These men and women have my utmost respect. ♥
Not a single day passes where I don’t pause, to be grateful for those that serve in our armed forces. Please let your boyfriend know, that some random dude on the inter-webz thanks him for his service – Immensely. May your hearts be filled with kindness and warmth, take care!
I read on FB that originally, Memorial Day, was started by African Americans in the south, honoring those soldiers that had fought for their freedom and died. I love that story!
Stories like these are truly heart warming!
You brought tears to my eyes. There was a mom holding her baby near her husband’s grave this past weekend in a grave site not far from here. Being so close to the military, I see the need for remembrance of those who have fought for us both recently and in all the years before. We should never forget everything they gave for us -their all.
I simply cannot hear enough stories like you the one you just shared! Having lived in a military community now for the past 20 years of so, its amazing the level of support given at all levels of daily life. Preferred parking at some stores, discounts at others and always a smile and thank when you are seen in uniform out and about. 🙂