Memorial Day is coming up on May 30th. It's one of my favorite holidays of the year. We get a day off of work. It's not too cold and not too hot outside. And we always do something fun, like going to one of the parties or backyard cookouts in the neighborhood or packing up the car for a camping trip.

Some of my favorite childhood memories are from the first holiday weekend of the summer season.  But my parents never let us forget that Memorial Day is about more than pre-summer parties. It's about honoring the people who gave their lives to serve our country. After we were finished swimming, playing and eating, we'd all gather around my grandfather and listen to stories about the brave soldiers he fought with. It was our small way of paying tribute, remembering and honoring the fallen.

Today, I continue the tradition in my own family. No matter what we do or where we go, we always take a couple of hours to settle down and listen to a soldier.  To remind us that we enjoy our freedom because of the men and women who were (and are) willing to risk all — and give all — for their country.