Honor veterans, attend services

"If other eyes grow dull, other hands slack, and other hearts cold in the solemn trust, ours shall keep it well as long as the light and warmth of life remain to us."

Gen. John Logan

National commander

Grand Army of the Republic

In proclaiming Memorial Day on May 5, 1868, then known as Decoration Day, Gen. John, national commander of the Grand Army of the Republic, recognized the importance of honoring those who had died serving their country and the rightness to pay tribute by those who benefited from their sacrifice.

Or, to quote another American (this time, Aretha Franklin), it's about "R-E-S-P-E-C-T."

It's saying thank you to a soldier returning home from Iraq or Afghanistan. It's about taking time to visit with his or her family to make sure they have everything they need. It is, as happened last week, telling a soldier's wife to put away her money and paying the postage to send a care package to her husband in Iraq.

It is recognizing that this isn't a three-day, play-all-you-can weekend. This weekend is about respect.

What can you do? Simple — go to the Memorial Day services at Pinecrest Cemetery at 11 a.m. at Lakeview Cemetery at 1 p.m. that are being held to honor your sons, your daughters, your loved ones.

After all, which is more important — honoring your "kid" or napping on the couch?

Caroline Lobsinger is managing editor of the Daily Bee