Thoughts on Memorial Day

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough and more. It turns denial into accep­tance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates vision for tomorrow.

The quote I began with is from Melody Beattie (American author of self-help books). It’s one of my favorite quotes, because I feel it portrays the fundamental ideals of Jodo Shinshu. Gratitude.

The end of May we commemorate Memorial Day. Traditionally, it is a day when our nation memorializes the soldiers who so bravely made the ultimate sacrifice to preserve this country’s hopes and dreams. It’s also a time to remember our family and friends who have gone on before us.

However, I feel that within a Buddhist understanding of Memorial Day, it goes beyond the remembering or memorializing those brave soldiers and our loved ones. We should go further and truly extend our gratitude and appreciation to the many causes and conditions that go into making our life possible due to their sacrifices and hardships. In that we are truly the benefactors of their existence.

When we act out of deep-felt gratitude, we become less self-centered. It’s these moments of thankfulness that open our hearts to joy, fill us with peace, and connect us to those around us.

And just not on Memorial day … but every day, every moment … gives us an opportunity to reflect upon loved ones’ lives and how we have benefited by their existence. And when we act out of deep-felt gratitude, we become less self-centered. “Gratitude unlocks the fullness of Life.”

Memorial Day is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on our good fortune of being born, through no effort of our own, on the soil of a country which offers us a great deal of freedom that we can easily take for granted.

It is truly a time to reflect upon how our lives are so interdependent. It’s that realization of interdependency that will manifest itself in truly appreciating and expressing gratitude for what others have done for you. It is to appreciate all that they have done for us and to recognize the continuation of their deeds upon our lives.

As we optimistically turn the corner of the COVID-19 pandemic, lest we forget the 1,128,000 people who suc­cumbed to the virus in the United States: How do we show our deep appreciation and gratitude to them and their family and friends? … How do we honor them? You continue wearing a mask when required, wash your hands and you keep your distance, and you show kindness to the cashiers and healthcare workers and first responders … you follow the simple rules put into place to keep people healthy and alive, because that’s the least we can do to show our appreciation and gratitude to the families and friends that have lost a love one during this pandemic.

Hopefully, as Buddhists and as Americans, we can reflect on the innumerable causes and conditions that en­able us to live in a relatively free and democratic country. It truly gives us an opportunity to realize how precious our life is at this moment. It’s a time to remember and reflect upon our loved ones’ lives, their dreams, and their aspirations.