Instead of teaching my children something this Memorial Day weekend, my son taught us all something. But aside from what Lil Man taught us, he showed everyone what a caring, compassionate and ultimately special person that he really is. Of course, his father and I already knew this!
We came home from the store on Friday evening, walked through the garage and noticed a table set up with a white sheet, plate with salt on it, a drinking glass and silverware. There was also a note, so curiosity got the best of me and I started reading. By the end, I was teary eyes and one very proud mama!
Here is what the note read:
Materials needed:
- small table with empty chair
- white table cloth
- black napkin
- glass (turned over)
- white candle
- lemon slice
- grains of salt
- one place setting: fork, spoon, knife
- a rose in a vase tied with a red ribbon
Why do we do this? Look on back.
The table honors men and women who served in America’s armed forces.
We cover a small table with white cloth over it to honor a soldier’s pure heart when he answers his country’s call to duty.
We place grains of salt and lemon slices to show a captive soldier’s bitter fate and tears of waiting for loved ones to return.
We push an empty chair to the table for the missing soldiers are not here.
We lay a black napkin for the sorrow and captivity, and turn over a glass for the meal that won’t be eaten.
We place a white candle for peace and finally a red rose in a vase tied with a red ribbon for the hope that all of our missing will return some day.
So like any good parent, I made sure that we were able to gather the rest of the supplies he needed to create America’s White Table. As soon as everything was available, he set to work in creating his table – right in the backyard where we planned to celebrate Memorial Day with our family and friends. His table did have a candle, I just happened to get this photo before that was added.
Before my son did this, I had never heard of America’s White Table. Sadly, almost no one at our Memorial Day Party had either – though they really enjoyed it and the story behind it.
It makes me proud to know that my son learned this in school as a lesson in the history of our great country, then took it a step further and made sure that we had America’s White Table in our yard during our Memorial Day festivities. After all, contrary to popular belief and celebration, Memorial Day doesn’t mark the start of the long awaited summer season, it marks as a memorial for our fallen soldiers.
This is what it really means:
a day on which those who died in active military service are remembered, traditionally observed on May 30 but now officially observed on the last Monday in May.
I have taken away from this, a very valuable lesson. Children are impressionable. Teach them the goodness of the world, the love, the compassion – and they will show that in return. The children are our future and we owe it to them to raise them to be the best people that they can be. Being the best person that they can be has absolutely nothing to do with money or how much of it they will make in their lifetime either. I have always firmly believed that compassion, empathy and a kind and giving heart, is what truly makes a good person. There’s no reason at all why we should not all love and care for one another. My son knows this at 12 years old. His heart is bigger and greater than that of most men two and three times his age. Let him be an example to us all!
