Best Intentions

Today I have found myself in a funk on more than one occasion. It is Memorial Day, and I felt much of the day was spent by people talking loudly. And not volume loud, but making-sure-they-got-their-point-across loud. Many people chose to thank all of our service members for their dedication and sacrifice. Which is all well and good, but today is not about the service members still with us; rather, we should take this day to focus on those who have made the ultimate sacrifice and lost their lives defending our freedom, as well as the families left to carry on in their absence. Others were sure to remind us of this very thing, getting annoyed with anyone who would be enjoying their BBQs so much that they forget even for a moment what this day is really observed for. Yes, it's important to remember why we honor this day, but I don't want to be made to feel guilty for enjoying myself either. (And let's face it, the people who don't give today the respect it deserves probably aren't listening to any of this scolding anyway.)

It was pretty hard to unbury the good from the annoyance and frustration at times. But I found inspiration in two of my neighbors this afternoon. Today also happens to be their 35th wedding anniversary. To celebrate, they bought a bunch of frozen ice cream treats and invited the whole block over to their driveway to share in some tasty snacks. They distributed flyers a few days ago letting everyone know the what, when, and where, and we all showed up accordingly. But for the few hours we were all milling around their driveway, no one felt the need to point out why we were there. Nobody got annoyed that we weren't focusing on John and Belinda, as they were the honorees of the event. They brought out a picture from their wedding day to place on the table they had set up with the ice cream, and that was that. I think there were a few conversations about weddings and other anniversaries, but there was also talk about home renovations, summer plans, parent/child relations, and all sorts of other topics in between.

I think there's something to be said for the phrase "actions speak louder than words." Often even the most well-intentioned message can be misread or badly received. Sometimes it takes saying little to nothing at all, but rather speaking through your actions and behavior, that resound the most with those around you. While no one officially made a big deal about the Bueschers' anniversary, we all still remembered to congratulate them and celebrate the occasion in our own way. I hope that I can likewise learn to talk when necessary but live by example whenever possible. May I show my message, whatever it may be, through what I do and not always what I feel the need to say.