Why We Celebrate

Our favorite thing to do on Memorial Day is attending the Dacula Memorial Day Parade. We have only missed it one time in the last 12 years--and that was last year, because we were in Utah.  There was a new addition to the parade this year; an acknowledgment of the fallen soldiers from Georgia. It truly put into perspective how the tragedy on 9/11 continues to affect the lives of so many.

There are 194 men and women who were honored.

As the veterans from WWII and Vietnam pass, the crowd cheers and applauds very loudly. People whistle and yell in respect for them. When we realized what was happening and who was passing, a complete silence unanimously came over us. We stood there and silently applauded for those who shed their blood on our behalf. I have to say that it was overwhelming. 194 may not seem like a high number if you're comparing it to a thousand, but seeing almost 200 people holding a poster with the name, age, rank, and date of death of someone who died while serving our country is very sobering. 

Everyone cried.
  

I tried to capture how many people were passing.

I love the reenactment of Iwo Jima.

Kayleigh has dreamed for many years now, that all she wants is to be in the parade. She finally had her chance this year by passing out fliers for Betsy's Ta Vaci performing group. Cozette is a teeny tiny performer and was also in the parade.  What is so funny is how miserable Kayleigh looks. She even laughed when she later watched herself. And I am not the greatest at taking videos. I need to work on it a bit.  

After the parade, we were looking forward to a leisurely day at the pool and a cook out at our house with the family. When we reached our van was when the real excitement happened.

But that is another story.

Stay tuned.