UPside of Life: Remembrance and a dark week for Memorial Day

There's no doubt that a lot of folks look forward to Memorial Day weekend, especially when the weather has been as nice as it has here in the Upper Peninsula.

Cookouts and barbecues will no doubt abound across the land, as will a few weddings and some time spent with family. But remember that Memorial Day was set aside to mean something a little more than just an extended weekend away from the office and around your friends and family.

Memorial Day, once known as Decoration Day, was created as commemoration to the fallen soldiers from the Civil War and eventually expanded to include all of the men and women who died in service of the U.S. military.

Today it has lost a lot of that original meaning, instead signaling the beginning of summer for many and a chance to get an extra day for an appreciated long weekend. There's nothing wrong with that at all, but we here at U.P. Second Wave urge you to try and dedicate a portion of your Memorial Day to the brave people who have died in service of our country, protecting the freedoms we all enjoy today.

Visit a local graveyard or a local military memorial. Stop by the grave of a veteran and give your thanks.

We're blessed to be free here in the United States of America, but it wouldn't be so if it weren't for soldiers who have served the red, white and blue.

We wish to extend our appreciation and our solemn thanks in remembrance of the heroes who have died fighting not only for their country, but for every American who calls it home.

Dark Week
Annually the week of Memorial Day is a dark week for the U.P. Second Wave publication and we'll be observing that again this year. Please look for our next new edition come June 6, featuring great art by Shawn Malone and a feature by Jeff Barr about two Upper Peninsula businesses that have received a boost from crowd funding.

Sam Eggleston is the managing editor of U.P. Second Wave and was born and raised in the Upper Peninsula. He is proud to have several generations of soldiers in his family, including those who fought for the Union in the Civil War and as a member of the U.S. Army during WWII and Vietnam. He can be reached via email.