 In the past, Memorial Day weekend marked on our calendars the start of summer, with scheduled or impromptu BBQ sprinkled on our summer calendars. Bodies had been honed for summer, ready for exhibition at your local pool or beach and summer great escapes just on the horizon. Now, the world is in chaos and the medical field is falling victim to a virus that they are fighting so valiantly to try and combat. Hopefully, there will soon be a day that honors our medics on the frontline of healthcare. On this day, however, we should take the time to honor those who have fallen in an effort to serve their people and their nation doing a job that is all to often a thankless task. During times of war a soldier is praised, during times of injustice a police officer’s reputation can be destroyed, and during times of a pandemic a nurse should finally received the elusive praise and spotlight that has long been deserved. Amongst this global pandemic, our military members are still serving abroad and with flight restrictions some deployments have extended into an unforeseeable end date. Some would say “this is what you sign up for”, yet it still doesn’t make it any easier for them to know they will miss out on birthdays and family celebrations or be able to assist loved ones who have suffered from the virus. Along with the uncertainty of a future return date, lies an ambiguity of what the situation will be like once a solider returns home. Where do they start? Who is still around? And what is the schedule to be able to go outside for a walk? For those people who fought this cruel battle and sadly did not survive, they won’t have to worry about those new nuances of life. Instead, their poor families will now have to figure out how they host a funeral service, whilst applying social distancing rules and deciding who can attend a greatly reduced church service.  Whether it’s the front lines of combat or the front line of a pandemic, the loss of life is still a heavy burden to witness.
Being a military brat during the gulf wars, I have witnessed losses. Being an adult in the middle of a pandemic we are all touched by this disease and many of us are now experiencing losses more close to home. At one point during this crazy weekend, we would take the time to show our respects for those who’ve fallen, but I suspect this time we will take the time to show our respects to those who are still fighting. Fighting for their lives. Fighting for their rights. Fighting to survive. Let us take the time now to pay our respects to those who unfortunately didn’t win their fight. For those whose loss burns so effervescently in our soul. For those who no one knows, unless you handle their tombstone. Thank you for your service. Thank you for all that you have done. Thank you for the life you gave; it’s true what they say. Freedom is not free. #MemorialDay #SummerTimes #Isadoraland #WildIsadora
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