This weekend many Americans will leave work looking forward to a long weekend ahead, to spending more time with their friends and loved ones, and to some much-needed time in the sun. As the unofficial kickoff to summer draws near, we pause to remember the men and women who left for work one day and never made it home for another long weekend and their families who would never get that extra time back.

Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, is an American holiday honoring the men and women who gave their lives while serving in the U.S. military. It originated in the years following the Civil War and became an official holiday in 1971.

Although this weekend will leave us all feeling a little more excited for the season that’s to come, it’s important to remember the real reason that we get to have this extra day to spend however we choose.

Freedom. Sacrifice. Love.

John 15:12-13 says, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends.”

Scripture tells us that there is no greater sacrifice than laying down one’s life for others. In America, we are uniquely positioned to understand this principle in a more meaningful and personal way. We know what these men and women were defending. We know that when they kissed their family goodbye for the final time, they did so knowing they were protecting the rights and freedoms for them to prosper. America is the greatest country in the history of the world because of the men and women who sacrificed their all to protect it.

This Memorial Day, while you are enjoying a day off, take a moment to remember those heroes, past and present, and remember the people they left behind. May their sacrifices never be forgotten.

Penny Nance
CEO and President