Riffing: Thoughts on Memorial Day

Memorial Day. We've had (and continue to have) way too many wars. As a result, we've had (and continue to have) many war veterans...and way way too many of them are gone. My heart is full of sorrow when I think about the ravages of war. And my hat is off to anyone and everyone who has stood up and fought for freedom and human rights.

I wish you all PEACE. PEACE! PEACE!

We have many animal veterans, too - horses, dogs, dolphins, seals, carrier pigeons, and the occasional shipboard cat. These animals stayed with their humans during the most gruesome times - open-hearted, determined, and brave. I wish them all PEACE!

For instance: STUBBY served during World War I and worked through seventeen battles. 17! He won several medals, including the Purple Heart. He patrolled the trenches in France, warning troopers of incoming gas attacks and German soldiers. What drove this little dog into such service? He must have loved somebody.

Stubby, WWI

One of my favorite dog books is a novel titled CRACKER! by Cynthia Kadohata. About a Vietnam vet and his faithful German Shepherd, it's a splendid, realistic look at not only the bond between men and dogs, but also the effects of the Vietnam War. It's written for teens, but adults will appreciate it, too.

Way too many of our young men and women (and countless animals!) have given up their lives for reasons we still cannot fully understand. Why were they in Vietnam? Iraq? Afghanistan? The world can be such a complicated, twisted place. I want to concentrate on PEACE. I wish I could always be a conduit of joy, hope, light, understanding and love. One of my favorite words is PASSION, and right up there with it is COMPASSION.....

Oh, you know. If wishes were horses.....
But I won't give up! Will keep trying!! Peace, love, and understanding...