Pull out the picnic baskets, load up the outdoor gear and make the camping reservations - it's Memorial Day weekend. Three-day weekends are what many people live for. But we have this weekend because many people died for us to live.
Memorial Day is a day to remember the men and women who have died serving our country in any branch of the military. Since its origin is tied to the Civil War, called Decoration Day back then, the holiday is only celebrated in the United States. And since Americans know how to have a good time, freeways, parks and camping spots will most likely be filled to capacity.
But too many times the meaning of a three-day weekend gets lost in the shuffle of filling an ice chest with goodies, getting out of town or gathering with family or friends.
Martin Luther King Day, or Civil Rights Day in some areas, President's Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day are all holidays that fall on a Monday, giving people a long weekend. All were moved to Mondays in 1968 under the Uniform Holidays Bill.
The initial reason for these holidays was so proper honor could be paid to those who had died defending the freedom of this country. Federal and even private businesses close for the day and by placing them on Mondays it has turned the holidays into convenient weekends of relaxation and enjoyment.
While Memorial Day began as a remembrance for soldiers killed in wars, it has expanded to include any departed loved ones. Cemeteries come alive with brilliant colorful flowers and wreaths during the Memorial Day weekend. Soldiers' graves are marked with American flags, infant graves are adorned with balloons and pinwheels and the local chrysanthemum business explodes.
Memorial Day and Labor Day are virtual bookends of summer in the U.S. While warm weather abounds before the end of May, and occasionally after the first weekend of September, most people realize the lazy days of summer fall within those 99 days, give or take a day or two. Knowing that, most people are anxious to fill as much time with summer fun as possible.
It's all right to enjoy a long weekend sipping cool drinks while juicy burgers grill nearby. Or soak in the smell of a towering pine forest near a clear mountain stream. But take time to think about someone missing from your life, whether they lost their life in the service or not. Take time to ask questions about family members no longer here to enjoy that burger or pull a trout from the stream. Go invest in some brilliant yellow chrysanthemums and dress a grave of someone who had meaning in your life. Pause at the headstone of a soldier and silently give thanks for the service they rendered that may have cost them their life. Say a prayer for those still in harm's way.
The three-day weekend has a lot of hours in it - use a few to honor those the holiday was meant to honor.
This editorial represents the opinion of The Daily Universe editorial board. Opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of BYU, its administration, or The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.