Here.




“What’s happening this weekend?” Freddie asked me, apropos of nothing. We were sitting on the couch, him cuddled up next to me while I read.

“Huh?” was my intelligent reply.

“You said earlier that you were looking forward to this weekend.” His voice dropped to a whisper, “are people coming over?”

“No, though I suppose they could. It’s Memorial Day weekend.” He just stared at me. “It’s a national holiday meant to remember soldiers who died while serving. It’s a solemn occasion, generally.”

“...but you are looking forward to it?”

“Well...it’s also the unofficial start of summer and a long weekend for a lot of people. There will be a lot of get togethers.”

“So it’s meant to honor the dead.”

“Yes.”

“With parties…?”

“I mean, yes and no.”

He studied me for a minute. “Humans are so weird,” he said.








PS: don't forget that yellowed clipping, permanent on fridge:

This Memorial Day let's remember our dead honor.

--D. J. Tepper
(Oakland)