Today is Memorial Day – a day originally set aside to celebrate the military men and women who have died in the service of our country.  But, the holiday has grown so that we also celebrate people we knew who have passed from our lives for any reason.  People we remember with good memories or bad that had an effect on us.

This week Oklahoma has more people to remember than normal.  After the tornado that hit Moore last week killing 24 people, families will add to their Memorial Day list for next year.  They were lives that were taken too soon.

I plan to remember those people who died in the tornado last week as heroes.  The teachers that tried to protect their students, the parents that were desperate to reach their children in time, or the people that survived to tell their story are all heroes in my book. And their stories should be celebrated along with their lives.      

We all want to be remembered for something.  I think I write to leave a legacy so someone will remember that I lived a life, as well as to share my thoughts and feelings. I hope to be able to revel in the stories left behind as we praise the ones who are no longer with us.  May 20, 2013 will go down in history as one of the biggest tornados to hit the earth in recent history.  An F5 tornado that was on the ground for 17 miles and was more than a mile wide is a terrifying example of Mother Nature – and also a fine example of humanity’s ability to survive or die trying.

My hat is off to Moore, Oklahoma and the fine people who live and died there.