Memorial Day
Today, poppies appear in my neighborhood.
Not in gardens,
But on garments.
We wear poppies on Memorial Day to commemorate those men and women who have laid down their lives in defense of our country—
Those who have made the ultimate sacrifice so that we may ultimately succeed—
Those who have died willingly so that we may live freely.
While most see the poppies as red-petalled flowers,
I see red-stained blood.
"Wow, Joey, that's an intense way of looking at it", some think.
Yes, it is—
And it should be.
See, these men and women bled to death for us.
Simply remembering them just isn't enough.
It's too fleeting—
It's here today, gone tomorrow…
Lost in society's never-ending cycle of news, notifications, and noise.
These brave men and women deserve more for their deaths,
They deserve much more than remembrance.
They deserve honor.
Honor can only be given to them by what you do, not what you remember.
So do not use your thoughts. Do use your actions. Stand tall. Stand for what is right. Give more than what is required of you. Give more than you receive. Earn your entire keep. Keep your entire word. Power through your discomfort. Turn your pain into power. Own your mistakes. Overcome your fears. Set your ego aside. Set yourself up for success. Learn from your failures. Lead with your servant heart. Build your dream. Build your best self…
And honor them.
As your reminder to honor these men and women through your daily actions,
We directly donate 100% of its proceeds to the Travis Manion Foundation's Memorial Day fundraising campaign.
We proudly support the Travis Manion Foundation because its mission of strengthening America's national character wholly aligns with our mission of restoring the dignity of hard work.
To honor over remembrance!
Joey
PS
These poems helped set the poppy as the symbol of their sacrifice and helped me see it as more than just a red flower.
We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies…
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies…
…Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
“In Flanders Fields” by John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
“We Shall Keep the Faith” by Moina Michael (Response)
Oh! you who sleep in Flanders Fields,
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
Sleep sweet – to rise anew!
We caught the torch you threw
And holding high, we keep the Faith
With All who died.
We cherish, too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led;
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies,
But lends a lustre to the red
Of the flower that blooms above the dead
In Flanders Fields.
And now the Torch and Poppy Red
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.
We wear in honor of our dead.
Fear not that ye have died for naught;
We'll teach the lesson that ye wrought
In Flanders Fields.
