This weekend holds a lot of memories for me, especially while growing up. My parents were native Kentuckians, my dad from Adair and my mom from Barren counties. Each Memorial Day weekend, we would visit the cemetaries where grandparents and aunts and uncles were buried and decorate the graves.
During these visits, we'd learn about our ancestors and stories about them. We'd usually pack either a picnic lunch or plan to stop somewhere and get a picnic lunch. We'd have sandwiches - nothing better than buying a loaf of bread and a pound of bologna cut off the roll with some ice cold Cokes to eat outside.
The cemetary when my parents are buried would be our ultimate destination. Since it is a rural county cemetary, Memorial Day was like a reunion. There'd be plenty of people at the cemetary, catching up with friends and family who had moved away and came back in recognition of the holiday's significance. The cemetary was only about one half the size it is now for most of the folks I remember seeing there are now buried there.
It would be somewhat of a major undertaking in the month prior to the weekend. Mom would have to make sure she had flowers for all of the graves it was necessary to decorate. And be sure we were all going to be dressed decent and there was money set aside for gas, etc.
Money for gas - one of the reasons I'm not in Kentucky this weekend visiting the cemetaries. Right now, I think we'll go the 2nd weekend in June. That's the anniversary of my mom's death and seems a rather appropriate time to visit. Gives me a little time to get one more repair done to the van too - the air conditioner!
I hope that my kids understand and will carry on the tradition when I'm buried there too.
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