May 31st is Jolyse Barnett’s Margarita Moments blogiversary. In appreciation of YOU, my readers, I’m giving away prizes to random commenters** each week this month. (To learn if you won for commenting last week, scroll to the bottom of this post.) So, if you haven’t yet left a comment, now’s the time to dip your toes into the blog waters. Your email isn’t made public and you can use a nickname for privacy. Winners from today’s post will be announced Thursday, May 31st. Check back then for an extra-special Margarita Moment and final blogiversary giveaway. Enjoy, and good luck!
This weekend has been a respite from the daily grind, relaxing by the pool with friends and family. Aside from an elusive sun, the weather’s been agreeable. Our big hit on the grill so far was the delectable bacon-wrapped scallops my sister brought to the party. I can’t wait to compare them to the shrimp recipe we’re trying out today!
As much as we enjoy our Memorial Day weekend barbeques and pool parties, the meaning behind this holiday is bittersweet. Our hearts and minds remember those who have fought and died for us to have the many freedoms we savor as Americans.
Raised in a rural community during the seventies, I heard about the boys in our town, barely eighteen, drafted into service. A number of those young men never returned, their names etched into the war memorial in the center of our small town and celebrated three times a year. Those who did come home often had lasting scars, the worst of which were invisible. As a Girl Scout, I honored our veterans by placing a flag next to their graves each May and November. Little did I know we’d adopted a tradition begun by southern women after the Civil War to remember their dead.
The Cold War taught us to always be wary, and it was with great relief and optimism in 1981 when the Berlin Wall tumbled down. We no longer had to fear nuclear war with the Soviet Union. College years for me were the Big 80’s. Not only was our hair big, but our dreams too. Generation X expected the world. Like the song said, the future was so bright we had to wear sunglasses.
I was pregnant with our first child in 1990 when our country came to the brink of war again, with a “line drawn in the sand” between our president and Saddam Hussein in Iraq. I feared bringing a baby into a world of unease and heartache, and again was thankful when the brave men and women of our armed services brought the conflict to a speedy end.
Years of peace lulled many of us Americans into a false sense of security. That all changed one fateful September morning.
9-11 hit very close to home. We knew people who died on those planes, people who died in the towers, people who missed death by inches or seconds or last-minute change of plans. My home of Long Island fell silent. There was no air traffic and the Long Island Expressway was shut down.
I scurried out of my work building that day, anxious to be safely home with my loved ones, when a deafening roar stopped me in my tracks. Fearing the worst, I squinted into the midday sun to see silver fighter jets screaming overhead. I spied the red, white, and blue emblazoned on each, and I breathed again. I’d grown up hearing the occasional thunder of jets from the local Air Force base. They’d frightened me, but my father always reassured me they were there to protect us. Now I understood.
Have a safe, relaxing holiday with your loved ones. Celebrate on behalf of those who can’t because they’re too busy keeping us safe. I leave you with this song by Five for Fighting, one I think is perfect for Memorial Day:
What does Memorial Day mean to you?
And now for blogiversary news…Last week’s Margarita Moments prize winner is LynneRose!!!! Thanks for participating and congratulations! Email me at jolysebarnett@gmail.com with your address. An insulated personal cooler tote bag and $20 Amazon card will soon be on their way.
This week’s prize is a $25 Amazon card and a pair of Margarita glasses. Be sure to comment if you want to be entered into this drawing. 🙂
**Commenters must provide a continental USA address if selected as prize winner. I apologize to my out-of-country readers. I love you too, and will have to figure out a cost-effective way to include you in future giveaways. Thanks for reading!
