The Last Sunday In September

Most of the posts I have written in this blog have come to me very easily, guided by my brother’s words – our shared memories through his writing to me. This one has been difficult. Why? It’s the day. What does it mean? Why is this day “special”? It’s one I wish never had to exist! It’s not the date. Every day is important to someone. Moments on the calendar can be viewed with great happiness and, on the flip side, a day can also be one of great emotional pain. That’s how life works, right?

The last Sunday in September is of great significance to some. Before I proceed, let me introduce you to Grace Darling Seibold. Grace was a woman and a mother who chose to be a comfort to others by spending time volunteering at a hospital in D.C. Reading her story made her why clear. There was a day when her mailbox no longer contained letters from her son, yet she continued her visits to the hospital. Maybe her son would be admitted without identification; she would know him anywhere! That never happened. 

Grace and my mother share a similar outlook. When you are hurting, help others. My mom told me some time ago, “we visit that place (i.e. grief), but you can’t afford to stay there. It will make you go crazy.”. So today, I want to acknowledge that because of Grace and her efforts, the last Sunday in September was declared ‘Gold Star Mother’s Day’ decades ago.

At dawn this morning, I hung my American Flag outside… for my mom… my father. Red. White. Blue. The colors exist in harmony, woven together on one piece of fabric. What do they symbolize? For me, they represent not only service but sacrifice… loss… grief… resilience and HOPE! Why hope? I think of my brother and the legacy he left. I think of Nels, who is running towards Nebraska at this very moment, and his determination. I think of our military service members who have been or are currently deployed. 

Hope, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is “to want something to happen or be true”. In order for something to happen or be true requires action. This Gold Star Mother’s Day, I hope you will consider making a donation in my brother’s memory to Wounded Warrior Project. They exist to give hope to our veterans and were founded with a vision “to foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history”. Learn more by visiting T4N1.org today.