1868

I attended the WV Memorial Day Parade on Monday. It is held every year in my hometown. The school children march carrying flags and small bouquets of flowers. The parade ends at the National Cemetary, and the flags and flowers are placed on grave markers there. This has been occuring since 1868! I remember the long march through town to the cemetary, seeing people I knew and family members who would wave along the way. You were not to wave back. This was a solemn affair. At the end of the route, after your flags and flowers were placed, there were ice cream treats given out by the town grocery, Garden Fresh. This was a big deal. They were drumsticks or ice cream bowls that you ate with a stick. It was the only time in the year that I would eat one of those. I always carried irises or snowballs picked from our yard and then wrapped in foil. My hands would be so sweaty and tired by the end of the parade. The flags were to be held over our shoulders, but I don't know if we ever made it through an entire parade that way. We were instructed to wear white, and wear white we did. I wore white dresses, white socks, and white shoes. It was actually a formal affair. I even wore a white sunbonnet my mother made for me. Things are a bit different now. Most participants wore red, white, and blue. I don't think I saw any dresses. Flags are still carried, but not all students carry flowers. Teachers were casually dressed as well. Waving was automatic from both onlookers and participants. It seemed much more a community event than a formal affair. I guess it has to change. I imagine the first celebration, held in 1868, was much different than either 1977 or 2009. The Civil War had only been over for about 3 years. A President had been assassinated, a country torn apart, people and property lost forever. Yet, someone saw a need to celebrate. To celebrate healing, courage, bravery, and a new start. It didn't matter which side you fought on, now was the time to pull together. It had to be hard to sit on one side of the parade and watch the "enemy" sit on the other. I would like to imagine that everyone sat on one side together, but I know people and I am positive that didn't happen. It didn't take 141 years for my town to heal from the Civil War, but our country still bears the scars. I see the scars here in the South. I hope and pray that the other countries who are trying to recover from War will not take as long as our's has to heal. God bless us all with Peace and Healing.