Notwithstanding the sales, barbecues, parades, concerts, and the like, at its true core, Memorial Day is a day of solemn reflection. Those who enter military service for our country deserve our respect and praise. Those who die in the line of that service hold a special place in our hearts and minds.
If you are at a loss for how to acknowledge this special holiday and show your regard for those it honors, you may be interested in reading the suggestions posted here. But your gratitude can be shown in so many ways every day, not just on Memorial Day (although it is good to have the holiday as a reminder). Remember those who served and died, and give thanks for (and, where possible, to) those who served and lived to tell the tale. (We’ll celebrate the latter directly later in the year, of course.)