Memorial Day isn’t about the mattress sales or the lake trips or even the burgers on the grill — though none of those things are wrong. But at its core, Memorial Day is about remembrance. It’s about the silence between the fireworks, the empty chairs at our tables, and the names carved in stone that we dare not forget.
In small towns like ours, where tradition runs deep and neighbors know each other by name, this day feels especially personal. We’re not just remembering soldiers — we’re remembering our own. Sons and daughters of Mississippi soil. Fathers, mothers, brothers, and sisters who wore the uniform and didn’t come home.
These aren’t just stories in history books. These are people who walked the same streets we do, who sat in the same pews, who maybe grew up playing ball in the same backyards our kids do now. Their sacrifice gave us the freedom to gather, to speak freely, to worship openly, and to live with a level of security many around the world still can’t imagine.
And the truth is, freedom isn’t free. We say that often, but sometimes I wonder if we pause long enough to really feel the weight of those words. Someone paid for what we enjoy today — not with dollars, but with their lives. That kind of courage humbles me. That kind of love for one’s country — and for each of us — is sacred.
As we stand at parades, visit cemeteries, or scroll through tributes online, I hope we don’t just remember the fallen — I hope we honor them. Live lives worthy of their sacrifice. Love our families deeply. Serve our communities with heart. Speak up for what’s right. Give back where we can.
And above all, I pray we hold fast to the faith that sustained so many of our soldiers in their final hours — the belief that there is more beyond this life, and that one day, we will see them again.
So while you're enjoying your long weekend — and you should — take a moment to remember why we have it. And maybe offer a prayer for the families who carry the weight of this day every day.
From all of us at the Newton County Appeal, may your Memorial Day be full of peace, gratitude, and remembrance.
God bless the fallen. God comfort the grieving. And God bless America.
