Is it just me, or has the true meaning and significance of Memorial Day been overlooked over time? I’ve noticed, especially on social media the last few years, that a lot of people, even close family and friends, tend to confuse Memorial Day with Veteran’s Day or even Labor Day.

According to several history articles online, Memorial Day, or Decoration Day, is a US federal holiday for remembering the people who died while serving in the country’s armed forces. The holiday is currently observed every year on the last Monday of May, and has been for over 150 years.
Memorial Day is for those who paid the ultimate price to protect the freedoms that many of us take for granted every day in America. Every year, thousands visit the graves of their loved ones across the country to remember their veterans’ sacrifices and their love for our country.

I had the privilege to attend a ceremony on Monday morning on the gorgeous grounds of the Longview Cemetery. Among family members and friends of community members whose loved ones were buried there, we honored their lives and celebrated the memories of the lives each led.

In the week leading up to Memorial Day, area Boy Scouts adorned graves at Longview with flags and flowers. Marine Corps veteran Russell Scott on Monday provided an emotional testimony to his fellow service men and women who have died in combat.

“Today’s focus is really on the sacrifice of those folks who have died in the wars,” said Scott. “It is even more difficult for the families: parents, children, husbands, wives and siblings. They’re in our community. The pain doesn’t leave. So, remember them on this Memorial Day. We are forever grateful for the service and sacrifices of our heroes. Thank you for the sacrifices made to bring us peace and freedom.”

Memorial Day is a day set aside to remember and reflect. While I spent time with my family eating hamburgers and hot dogs outside as most every other American did Monday evening, Scott’s words echoed in my ear. It’s not a day of celebration; it is a day of recognition of our true American heroes. I will honor their bravery and their sacrifices, and I will never forget their love for our country and for us.

The transition into middle school has been tough for me this year. There’s been a lot more homework, studying for tests, hormones and drama, new friends coming and old friends going, and did I mention the drama? Sixth grade has been a roller coaster, and I for one am ready to see what seventh grade brings. Oh, and my kid survived sixth grade, too.

As a parent, the older, wiser parents try to warn you about the dread that is dealing with a child in middle school. They tell you what to expect, they offer advice and an ear, and then they walk away, shaking their heads with a knowing look on their face that simply reads, “I don’t envy you at all.”

It’s not all been bad. Fortunately, I was blessed with a kid who is incredibly passionate about others and has a heart of gold. Though, that is proving to be a little bit of a curse too, as he learns to deal with conflict and drama. Don’t even get me started on middle school drama.

I’ve learned to not press for information as he’ll eventually share with me everything I could ever possibly want to know about who likes whom, what so-and-so said about so-and-so on Snapchat, or the million other things that everyone else is doing. He’ll tell me on his own terms. I know more about these kids in my son’s school than I think I ever did about my own classmates when I was in sixth grade (and, believe me, I knew a lot).

On Friday, as Michael and I head to our seventh-annual last day of school milkshake date at Winstead’s, I’ll sit back and wait patiently. The stories will come, and my advice will be heard through eyerolls and sighs. The whole time, I’ll be thinking how lucky I am to have these moments with my son. I hope the next six years go well for him, though maybe with a little less drama.

“If you weren’t the editor of the paper, and you could have done anything else with your life, what would you be doing?”

That’s the question that one little third-grade boy at Conn-West Elementary School in Grandview asked of me last week. I visited his class to talk about what I do and how I do it. I shared with third graders about covering the fire on Main Street a few years ago, and what it’s like to focus on the job I have in front of me and worry about my emotions later.

“How many of you have read a newspaper before?” I asked them. Nearly every hand in the room was raised. “How many of you have ever read the Jackson County Advocate before?” I asked. Only a handful of hands remained in the air. When I informed the students that would change that day, as I had brought a copy for each of them, you would have thought the pages were made of candy. “You mean we get to keep this?” one little girl asked me quietly. “Absolutely you do,” I answered as she beamed up at me with a toothless grin.

I can happily talk about my job with pretty much anyone, but when I have the opportunity to share my work with children, I get just as excited as they do. I love their questions. A lot of them asked me if I saw this car accident, or heard of this shooting. It amazed me how aware these third graders were of what goes on in their community, on their streets, and the impact events clearly have on their lives.

“Did you write about the kid who was killed while riding in the car with his dad a few months ago?” a small but obviously mighty boy asked me. “I sure did, and writing it broke my heart,” I answered him. “That was my cousin; we’re the same age,” he said. I squeezed this little boy and told him how sorry I was that that had happened to his family. It reminded me that news sometimes hits close to home, no matter how old you are.

I answered the first boy’s question. If I could be doing anything else, I’d still be writing. If money were no object, I’d travel the world and write other people’s stories. Having people open up to me about their passions, their heartaches, their families and their work, and then writing about it, is what I love doing. Everyone has a story to tell, no matter how old they are, where they come from, or what they thought they’d be doing with their lives.

Thank you, Conn-West third graders, for spending some time with me last week. And, thank you for your kind letters. To Savion, who says he wants to be a news writer just like me when he grows up, I hope you become one. And when you do, come see me and I’ll have a job waiting for you.

“Same question for you,” I asked that little boy. “If you could be anything at all when you grow up, what would you be?” I thought he’d say the President, or a teacher, or maybe even a firefighter. Suddenly, I was brought right back into the mind of a third grader with his response. “I think I’d be a wrestler,” he said.

I’ve always loved a good birthday party. One of my favorite parties when I was a kid was my eighth birthday at Skate Land. I think it was the first boy/girl party I had, and I remember feeling like a princess as all my friends came to celebrate me that day. We likely had a Barbie cake, I’m sure there were balloons and confetti, and I have no doubt I wore something befitting an eight-year-old starlet.

The Grandview Community has celebrated the birthday of Harry S Truman annually for as long as I’ve been around. Truman’s birthday is May 8. This year, he would be turning 134. For decades, Grandview has thrown the biggest birthday party for Truman.

The party has changed some over the years, but the reason remains the same. Truman’s legacy in Grandview lives on, and that’s enough of a reason to celebrate. His childhood home, the Truman Farm Home, will be open for tours on Saturday, May 5, following the parade that will take place at 10 a.m. in our historic downtown.

Harry’s Hay Days will begin on Friday night, May 4, though, with a free concert at the Grandview Amphitheater. The Stolen Winnebagos will take the stage at 7 p.m.

Like a lot of folks in Grandview who have been around a few years, I was disheartened to see the annual festival move to the east side of town. This year, it’s back on Main Street, though, right outside the front door of my office.

Along Main Street on Saturday, you’ll find vendors, entertainers, arts and crafts, food trucks, and I even heard there will be margaritas (it is Cinco de Mayo, after all).

This year, Harry’s Hay Days is a community event, with several different organizations helping with the planning and day-of work that goes into an event to honor and celebrate our former President.

If you’re able to make it down to Main Street on Saturday, stop by and say hi, I’ll be around, likely with a camera around my neck. Michael will be here, too. We’re excited to celebrate Truman’s birthday with all of our closest Grandview friends. I’m just curious if there will be a cake with 134 candles on it.