We got some much-needed rain in recent days, but the weather forecasters can’t deny it – We’re on the fast track to summer. With the return of warm – OK, even hot – days, the Grant County calendar fills with activities.

The three-day Memorial Day weekend is the customary start of the season, when many families dust off the camping gear and heat up the grill for family gatherings that will continue through Labor Day. This year, Memorial Day weekend also coincides with graduation for many of our high school seniors, adding to the celebratory atmosphere for many families.

Amid all the festivity, however, it’s important to remember the real reason for this holiday. It’s not just about a bonus day off of work or a chance to picnic with the relatives again.

Memorial Day is a time to remember those who died in service to our nation in the armed forces. It’s a tradition that’s seen in the profusion of flowers and flags at local cemeteries. We also are reminded when we pop into Chester’s and see the American Legion Auxiliary volunteers at their stand by the doorway, offering their veteran poppies in exchange for donations to help veterans and their families.

The poppy gained its significance after Moina Michael, inspired by John McCrae’s 1915 poem “In Flanders Fields,” penned a verse: “We cherish too, the Poppy red, That grows on fields where valor led, It seems to signal to the skies, That blood of heroes never dies.”

The poppy movement flourished, even beyond national boundaries, and became a simple, yet powerful tribute. It is one small way we can show our support for veterans everywhere.

We should also show our respect amid the hoopla of a busy holiday weekend, taking time to remember the fallen with a moment of silence and prayer. – SC