Poppies for Memorial Day
Where did they go?
A couple of weeks ago, Marty and I reminisced about “back in the day” when people would stand at busy intersections on the Friday before Memorial Day and sell little paper poppies for any donation to help the veterans. Neither one of us had observed it happening in years. Then last Friday, just like a memory had been conjured back into life, he was driving through a small community near us, and there they were! Ladies were in the main intersection with their buckets and red paper poppies! Of course, he purchased one. Just for kicks, here’s a little history of the tradition:
The poppy became a symbol of remembrance on Memorial Day because of the poem “In Flanders Fields” by Canadian physician Lt. Col. John McCrae (published in December 1915):
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Why Poppies?
In response to that very poem, the American Legion began National Poppy Day on the Friday before Memorial Day. Traditionally, the poppies are worn on the left lapel, near the heart, in remembrance and honor of all those who gave their lives in military service. The red of the poppy is symbolic of their shed blood.
I have heard that after the destruction and scarring of war, fields of red poppies would often be the first plants to bloom on the battlefield, representing nature’s resilience and the hope of renewal. The poppy may then represent the healing of the soul and new life returning after all the death.
We owe the fallen soldiers our honor and our abiding thanks. There is a moment in J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Return of the King as the character Frodo prepares to leave Middle-earth for the Undying Lands. He explains the reason for his departure like this:
“But I have been too deeply hurt, Sam. I tried to save the Shire, and it has been saved, but not for me. It must often be so, Sam, when things are in danger: someone has to give them up, lose them, so that others may keep them.”
That’s what our fallen heroes have done–given up their lives so that we may keep the freedoms extended to us.
Today, Remember …
Today on Memorial Day, take at least a moment to consider the sacrifice of ordinary people who made extraordinary choices for you, for me, and for a country in which they believed. Consider those poppies blowing. Remember, and give thanks, for you are greatly blessed.
Today, let us join in a prayer of remembrance:
Heavenly Father, Today we remember the brave men and women who gave their lives in service to our nation. We honor their sacrifice and thank You for the freedom they helped preserve. Lord, comfort every family who grieves, and remind them that their loved one did not die in vain. May their courage never be forgotten, and may their memory inspire us to live with purpose, gratitude, and love. Let peace reign where there has been war, and may Your justice and mercy guide us as a nation. We lift our hearts in reverence and hope. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
So if you can’t find an actual poppy for Memorial Day, wear one on your heart, in your mind, and in your spirit. Take time to remember our heroes who gave you freedom.
God bless you on this Memorial Day.
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