Remembering Family This Memorial Day

She reaches down and pulls the step stool in front of the vanity, steps up to the top step, reaches for her toothbrush standing in its holder, grasps the small tooth paste tube, flips the top and squeezes the tube for a dab on the bristles of her toothbrush. She looks into the mirror, smiles, raises the handle to run water over the tooth paste and returns it to her smile as her mother steps behind her and starts brushing her hair. She parts the hair in the middle and pulls the long curly strand to the side of her head for pigtails. The young girl continues her brushing mission as her mother twists the scrunches to hold the pigtails and ties red, white and blue ribbons around the scrunches as the little girl spits into the sink, spins on the top step, looks into her mother’s eyes; is grandma going to be there too? Yes she is, her mother replies; are you excited about visiting daddy? In a quiet voice she answers, yes. Her mom wipes the excess foam from her lips and chin, kisses her on the lips; share the lipstick, as they both giggle from the kiss. Let’s get going, we don’t want to keep grandma waiting when we visit daddy. The little girl steps down from the stool, returns it to its storage position and then skips down the hall to the front door, opens it and skipped down the sidewalk to the car parked in the driveway. Her mother walked behind her, opened the door and lifted the little girl into her car seat, fastened the straps around her and shut the door. As they pulled out into the street, the little girl looked out the side window and thought about seeing her father as her mother watched her in the rear view mirror. The drive went quickly, and soon, they arrived to an awaiting grandma’s hugs and kisses. Do you know where he’s at; the grandmother asked? Yes I do, as she turned and ran to her father’s position among the other soldiers. When she reached his position she sounded out; hi daddy and touched the white tombstone marker. As her mother walked through the garden of stone and looked down at the markers of those who sacrificed their lives, so we could celebrate our freedom.  Both women knelt down and placed an American Flag on the grave and leaned a wreath of flowers against the back of the stone as the little girl talked to the father she had never touched, shared a kiss or giggled from the tickles he promised to give her on the video they had all watched hundreds of times. Her father did not return home to the pageantry of fanfare and speeches. He arrived in a solemn hearse with a veteran and police escort, in a flag draped coffin. The sound of blaring rifles, the folding of the flag and being presented on behalf of a grateful nation and a lone bugler sounding a call to rest with taps. Memorial Day is the time we remember those who defended our freedom with their last breath but it goes beyond the service member, there are families who bear the weight of loss. As we pay respect to our fallen, Memorial Day 2015, please take time and remember our Gold Star Families.