On Memorial Day, I take a biking tour of the National Monuments. If you are up for biking, I highly recommend the ride. It starts near RFK Stadium at sunrise. Then due West, past the Capital with remnants of the Memorial Day Concert, and down the Mall. The Civil War has monuments throughout DC.
The District has its own Monument to remember the “War to End all Wars”, which ended during the Spanish Flu Pandemic. Of course, it wasn’t called World War I, until World War II.
The WWII Monument, the Wall, the Korean War, the Lincoln Memorial, and then the Jefferson Memorial are all yours for the viewing in just a few miles.
It is usually very quiet and serene that early in the morning. This year will be even more so. I love this beautiful and sobering tour, seeing memorials to so much suffering, sacrifice, and grit. When our son Patrick was deployed to Afghanistan, I got some small understanding of what so many families have given for our freedom.
This Memorial Day, as we enjoy our burgers and dogs in our socially distant reality, remember that we are not alone in this time of challenge. Many other generations have had their own difficulties to rise above and have managed to pass on a better world for us in the process.
Hopefully, we can do the same. Happy Memorial Day.
