I used to spend Memorial Day at home doing projects, cleaning, gardening, yard work, or sometimes, we’d go on a weekend vacation or over to extended family. Memorial Day was… a holiday.
About 6-7 years ago, I changed direction. We go to a memorial service at a local cemetery.
What brought about my change in direction?
As I was revising Charlotte’s geography book, I came to the chapter where she wrote, “most people think their country is the best and the greatest.” I proudly agreed. But then I wondered, am I teaching that to my children? –for real? How am I teaching that? Have I gone out of my way to communicate that our country is the best and the greatest?
I know from Charlotte that verbal preaching is wearing to everyone’s ears. So a verbal ‘telling’ them to think their country is the greatest, won’t cut it. We must model what we teach. Model respect, gratitude, patriotism in real life. Like anything, we all know that actions speak louder than words. So then if I can’t preach it, I’m left with three options – atmosphere, discipline, life.
Upon further scrutiny, attending something like a Memorial Day ceremony fulfills all three of these components of a Living Education – all three, all at once.
Attending a memorial service communicates an atmosphere of reverence and honoring sacrifice. Setting ourselves, our entertainment, or our work aside and taking a moment to reflect on lives lost for the freedom we have creates an atmosphere of honor. If you are out of town, you could find a local commemoration honoring our country’s fallen heroes, where you are.
The discipline of habit training is also set into motion. If I want my children to grow up to be grateful and respectful of those who have died for our country, if I want them to maybe one day be the ones to carry the flag, or sing the anthem, or continue to be the citizen spectator into adulthood, then I have to start now to train the habit of participation. I can’t assume they will magically commemorate our countries traditions and observances. Paving path now instils it as a tradition to be repeated- even unconsciously- as a habit eventually becomes. Set the habit in motion.
And finally, attending a Memorial service is a full course in ideas to feed the mind. Ideas of those heroes who have past on at the cost of their lives, ideas of those who now serve, ideas of those who are paying their respects, the thoughtful, beautiful flag displays, music, prayer, soldiers in uniform, gun salutes- all lay ample food for the mind.
So if you are as I once was…’eh… Memorial Day, that is for someone else like military folks to remember.’ Ah no, it is for us, all of us, to remember. It is more for us, than for those we remember. Liberty is not free, freedom costs dearly. Let’s get out, put up our flags, and head out to celebrate and remember.
From Charlotte’s Principles:
“4. These principles are limited by the respect due to the personality of children, which must not be encroached upon, whether by fear or love, suggestion or influence, or undue play upon any one natural desire.
5. Therefore we are limited to three educational instruments—the atmosphere of environment, the discipline of habit, and the presentation of living ideas.
6. By the saying, education is an atmosphere, it is not meant that a child should be isolated in what may be called a ‘child environment,’ especially adapted and prepared; but that we should take into account the educational value of his natural home atmosphere, both as regards persons and things, and should let him live freely among his proper conditions. It stultifies a child to bring down his world to the ‘child’s’ level.
7. By education is a discipline, is meant the discipline of habits formed definitely and thoughtfully, whether habits of mind or body. Physiologists tell us of the adaptation of brain structure to habitual lines of thought—ie., to our habits.
8. In the saying that education is a life, the need of intellectual and moral as well as of physical sustenance is implied. The mind feeds on ideas, and therefore children should have a generous curriculum.”
