A Time to Remember

Up in the attic

Down on my knees

Lifetimes of boxes

Timeless to me

Letters and photographs

Yellowed with years

Some bringing laughter

Some bringing tears 

Memorial Day. A time to remember. My husband and I decorate graves on Memorial Day weekend. We usually start on Friday with our parents graves. It means a lot to us to take a moment out of our busy schedule and pay tribute to those who came before us. 

My father died 15 years ago. My mother-in-law 12 years ago. My own mother, 7 years ago. Decorating the graves is a bittersweet time. The pain of loss is still there, though tempered by the passage of time. But the overwhelming love hasn't changed at all. The sweetness of it is almost more than I can bear. These wonderful people, who sacrificed, nurtured and protected us. Rubbed and kissed our boo-boos. Worked long hours to put food on the table. Comforted us during difficult times. They are without a doubt my heroes.

And so we honor their memory with beautiful flowers placed upon a grave that bears their name. A day of remembering, a lifetime of love.

Time never changes

The memories, the faces

Of loved ones, who bring to me

All that I come from

And all that I live for

And all that I'm going to be

My precious family

Is more than an heirloom to me

~Marla

Lyrics are from the song "Heirlooms"