Monday, May 26, 2014

Memorial Day

Interesting the way people forget it is a day to memorialize our dead soldiers who fought for our freedoms and made the ultimate sacrifice of their lives.
One of my FB friends who I think the world of, actually started her day by wishing everyone a "Happy Memorial Day Peeps". Is it me or does that make you too cringe a little bit?
She is a joyous soul and loves life and family and all people in general, so I do understand where she comes from... most days.
Although, I am squeamish sometimes too much to my own detriment.
I really don't know why that is; death has always been a touchy topic with most of us, and perhaps her easy breezy attitude to handle each day with happiness is the way we all should.

Personally, I have always admired the Irish with the way they always celebrate the life of the deceased and not harp on their demise by having amazing parties for just such a time.

Jews sit Shiva ("Shiva (Hebrew: שבעה‎) (literally "seven") is the week-long mourning period in Judaism for first-degree relatives: father, mother, son, daughter, brother, sister, and spouse. The ritual is referred to as "sitting shiva." Immediately after burial, people[1] assume the halakhic status of "avel" (Hebrew: אבל ; "mourner"). This state lasts for seven days, during which family members traditionally gather in one home (preferably the home of the deceased) and receive visitors. At the funeral, mourners traditionally rend an outer garment, a ritual known as keriah. This garment is worn throughout shiva." thanks to:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shiva_%28Judaism%29) and mourn perhaps too long, but even as a child I did notice that most times of going to my relatives when we lost someone the idea of having family get together was not that much different of a time than when there was a happy occasion, like a holiday or a wedding etc. Sometimes it weirded me out with not getting it if it was a sad or happy time, truly. So as soon as I was old enough, a married woman I opted out to any and all such occasions, that is until my parents died when I was in my thirties, but after that...way too confusing and scary about whether to cry or  laugh, ya know?

In my mind it is for the living anyways, funerals, and some people are not as sorrowful as one might think for their loss. Other times with being here in Florida I have made acquaintances that I did care about and sadly a few have passed on, but they had people that were much closer than I was ever to them to take care of that situation, which after my parents died and I felt gypped, since in my mind they left our lives way too soon... my heart was truly only broken for them and still is.
Who in their right mind would have the need to do that over and over again, seriously?

Caring hurts, and respect for all the decent unselfish dead that died for no right or true to your way of thinking reasoning is well in my realm of thoughts and devastates me like any other feeling being.
Maybe that is just it, not wanting to get close due to the inevitable for us all, but trying so hard to deny that part of life which is what it really is, isn't it?

Our youngest when he was a flippant way too cavalier attitude teen, used to say, "you are born, you live, and then you die, get over it!" He had lost two friends while in high school...I suppose his way of coping, heaven knows I was no help with that sadly.
But thankfully he became a more caring person or maybe not, since he  is our estranged son...although successful in his own life.

Any-who, ironically I made a promise to myself not to  make friends with older people when we moved to Florida after my both parents had died and  a few of their friends up in NJ, but I broke that promise when we moved to this coast, where we first moved to, most of our neighbors were seniors, while we were still in our forties! Then I began to volunteer with the Arthritis Foundation and had classes from self help to being an Aquasize teacher with the mean age of my students being seventy-five, as well as a co-president of that support group, no youngins there!
Sure they were going to die, but so could I. Death horrifically comes to all ages, our losses of friends started in school, from illness or accident, and of course our war, Viet Nam...
Maudlin, sorry, but as everyone says, a part of life!
Why are people so cheery when they say it, ever notice that? CREEPY!

Odd and a bit hypocritical of me, since I was an avid voracious reader of Poe and King...I suppose I do know the difference that is pretend and this reality, another no-brainer! (That's me all over the place, the one with no brain or wee...lesions, ya know?)

In conclusion how we handle the loss of a loved one is a personal thing, except in the matter of OUR SOLDIERS, what they did was for the love of all of us and our freedoms to remain etc...and so lest us never ever forget that or them!

For all of you please try to have a good night and count those very precious blessings and share those overages with you know who and we will too!
      
And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go?

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go? :   My eyesight is going again... in case you missed it... Netanyahu snaps back against growing...