On Memorial Day What's Important to You?

As I write this, it is the Sunday before Memorial Day and this occasion prompts me to reflect upon what's important in my life.

When I was younger, my parents and I would make the 2.5 hour drive north from the Madison, Wisconsin area to visit the cemetery in central Wisconsin where many of my dad's family members are buried. The small local band from the Hancock, Wisconsin High School would show up and play at the military memorial ceremony with their star trumpeter straining to hit the high notes on "Taps." And then we would visit with my dad's cousins for a brief lunch at an area truck stop off of Highway 51 since there weren't many other culinary establishments in the area.

It was always a very bittersweet occasion. My paternal grandparents are buried in that cemetery and I miss them very much. In contrast to the overwhelming grief that would sweep over me each time I disembarked from our car, the surrounding area was beautiful, quiet, and soothing. The cemetery itself is located outside of Hancock on a rural road and while rounding the bend in your car you could easily blow past its wooded entrance if you didn't know to look for it. Although we did not make it there every year, I don't recall a year when it ever rained on us. Our visits were always on sunny days when the birds were singing loudly as spring, which comes later to that part of the country, was just getting under way.

I would often wander through the cemetery and marvel at the old dates on the tombstones. Many of my grandfather's family members were buried there, too, such as the unfortunate brother who survived military service in WWI only to come back and lose his life during the flu pandemic of 1918.

I do not know anyone directly who has lost his or her life in military service during our current conflicts around the world. But I think a lot about them, about those who have gone before, and about what we have now as a result of their sacrifices. As an artist, I believe that one of the best things about this country is its natural beauty and its vastness. To date, I've been fortunate enough to have the opportunity to visit a variety of places within our nation. Some personal highlights thus far include diverse destinations ranging from Bandelier National Monument in New Mexico to Niagara Falls to the Apostle Islands off the northern tip of Wisconsin on Lake Superior.

A photo that I took of the monument at the Bear Meadows Natural Area, located within a 30-minute drive from my home in central Pennsylvania. Erected in 1966, the sign reads as follows: "NATIONAL NATURAL LANDMARK. This site possesses exceptional value as an illustration of the nation's natural heritage and contributes to a better understanding of man's environment."

Our landscape contributes to our American identity and since moving to central Pennsylvania a few years ago, I think I've become more engrossed in the importance of our environment. I'm glad that when I share my work at art shows I can help to encourage some interest in this area and in our nation's landscape in general, but I think that one of the things that gets lost in our modern society is an appreciation for the beauty that is right in our own backyards. For many of us, a state park or even a national park is just a short drive away. And on this Memorial Day weekend, I would like to suggest that one way we can pay tribute to the sacrifices of our military men and women is to visit one. These resources are what make America unique and beautiful. It's important to appreciate what we may easily, and unfortunately, take for granted.

A soda and beer can left at the trailhead for Bear Meadows, just a few feet from the national monument sign. Some people get upset about flag burning. To me, this sort of disrespect is not all that different and is equally deserving of condemnation.