Ewing Mays began his “mission” by visiting his fellow veterans with whom he shared a common bond. All of them had been wounded in the war and many of them, like Mr. Mays, had lost a leg or an arm in the service of their country. He knew what they were going through. He had been there. And he was determined to help as many as he could. He wanted to help them to understand that life could still be worthwhile and he wanted to share with them what he had learned and what he had done to overcome his disability.
But his visits did more. Each time he visited a veteran’s home or hospital he was also letting the veterans know they were not forgotten and what they had done in the service of their nation was important. By his mere presence he was letting them know they had done something noble, something which deserved the gratitude of us all. He was saying “thank you, thank you for your service to your country.”
We all like to hear someone say thank you to us. It is a phrase which makes us feel good. The two words give us a sense of accomplishment, a sense of worthiness and the knowledge that someone else believes we did something good.
Memorial Day is a day for saying thank you. We remember those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and we say thank you to them by placing wreaths of flowers, by parades, by speeches, by moments of silence, by fly-overs of jet fighters and by simply saying “thank you.” This is our national day of saying thank you to all those who served and sacrificed to keep our nation free. Ewing Mays said thank you each time he visited with a group of his fellow veterans. He celebrated Memorial Day each time he made a visit.
Let us all celebrate Memorial Day as Ewing Mays did. Whenever you meet a veteran, remember to say thank you. Take the opportunity to let a living veteran know you appreciate what they did for our nation. What better way to memorialize those who are gone than by honoring those who are still here.
For more information email us at info@maysmission.org and feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section. Thank you and God bless your kind heart!
Do not assume that a person with a disability is disabled in all areas of life