The proper greeting for yesterday was “Happy Memorial Day.” Over the preceding days I said it a few times to neighbors and others, and then stopped. Surely, I want to honor those who died wearing our nation’s uniform. But on this Memorial Day, the word “happy” didn’t quite fit.

Welcome back from Memorial Day, which always offers us a day of rest from work and eases us into the summer months. But over the years I have found that for many of us there’s little real connection to Memorial Day itself – I know that’s true for me. The meaning of the day somehow gets lost amid cook-outs and busyness. So, today, I offer a simple prayer for Memorial Day to remind us of the day’s importance.