A tab we can never pay back

Every year around late May, I start hearing people walk around town or down at the lodge wishing each other a "Happy Memorial Day." I'll be honest with you—it grates on my nerves like a bad set of brakes.

If you're saying "Happy Memorial Day," you've completely missed the point of why we close up shop on the last Monday of May.

Look, I get it. It’s a three-day weekend. The weather is finally turning around here in Jersey, (although looks like rain all weekend for me) people are firing up their grills, and it unofficially kicks off the summer. Enjoying the day is fine. But there is a massive difference between a celebration and a commemoration.

Veterans Day is when we thank the men and women who put on the uniform and served. Armed Forces Day is for those currently wearing it. But Memorial Day? It’s for the ones who didn't get to take the uniform off. The ones who paid the ultimate price so we have the luxury of standing in our backyards flipping burgers in peace. You don't wish someone a "happy" day of mourning.

So this Memorial Day weekend, go ahead and spark up the grill. Enjoy the extra time with your kids and your family. Brew a good cup of Iron Horse Roasters Coffee. But at some point—ideally during the National Moment of Remembrance at 3:00 PM on Monday—put down the spatula, take your hat off, and take a quiet minute to remember the tab that was picked up for you. A tab you can never pay back.

Pat Guerra