Big Picture

To my son Tommy,

After a very busy day, before I faded off to sleep last night, I was thinking that so far I had kept to my ultimate plan to be with loved ones and remain safe. The television was tuned to channel twenty two which is the Maryland Public Television channel. They had on the National Memorial Day concert. Your mother looked at me and said she was bawling after a particularly touching story was relayed. We watched a little longer, or as long as our droopy eyes would allow, and slipped into that dream world with stories of heroes who serve and who gave going through our minds highlighted with backdrop of patriotic and inspiring music.

It is important to stay grounded and focused on the big picture. It is important to keep in mind the memorial part of Memorial Day. So when you are pulling out the charcoal and icing down the coolers on this weekend, remember, though we try to approach this holiday as a celebration, these were very real lives of very real people sacrificed for our country that we are to remember on this day. The big picture supplies greater purpose and more meaning to each and every moment that we have to spend among our loved ones and what has been given to get to this point.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo