Weekend Reflections: Memorial Day Edition

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Freedom Is Not Free

Kelly Strong

I watched the flag pass by one day.

It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it,

and then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform

So young, so tall, so proud,

He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him

Had fallen through the years.

How many died on foreign soil?

How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?

How many died at sea?

How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?

No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of TAPS one night,

When everything was still

I listened to the bugler play

And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times

That TAPS had meant "Amen,"

When a flag had draped a coffin

Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,

Of the mothers and the wives,

Of fathers, sons and husbands

With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard

At the bottom of the sea

Of unmarked graves in Arlington.

No, freedom isn't free.

We take far too much for granted. On Memorial Day, take some time to think of the price that has been paid for your freedom. 

Looking Back...

Here's what we talked about this week:

• Budget and Kid-friendly Date Nights at Home
• Read & Share: How to Miss a Childhood
• Faithful Mothers
• Recipe for Diploma Cookies
• The Family that Works as a Team (Review & Giveaway!)

From the Archives...

• Housekeeping Extremes

Looking Ahead... 

Next Week 
Jennifer will share a memorial day post on Monday and the devotional on Wednesday, I (Jessica) will try to make your load a little easier by sharing some helpful links with you on Tuesday, Joanna will share with us on Thursday. Since I'm not sure what the "boss" has in mind for Friday, I'll just encourage you to come find out! :)  

Thank You!
Watching those numbers go up on our Facebook page has been like a shot in the arm. Thank you so much for joining with us in our endeavor to learn together and encourage one another! If this blog has been a help to you, please share it with your friends!
Once again we'd like to let you know that we love to hear from our readers. Feel free to contact us at any time via Facebook or by emailing us at  homekeeper31 (at) gmail (dot) com.



Giveaway!
Don't forget the current giveaway! It's open until next Thursday, May 31st. It takes less than a minute to enter! Follow this link:

The Family that Works Together as a Team