The Cemetery Boots
Hey Papa Happy memorial day.  Thank you Thomas do you know what memorial day is for. Of course I do it is a day we get out of school and it is the start of summer. Well young Thomas put on your shoes I want to take you some place.
Papa why are you walking to the cemetery. I want to show you something special. There is only dead people in the cemetery Papa. Look over at that grave Thomas tell me what do you see. I see a  grave marker that has one word on it and it says solider and there's a pair of old army boots. Do you know that solider could of been someone's Dad or brother or uncle or grandfather  or husband or now a days it could be a wife , a sister, grandma or aunt. That tombstone has been here forever so we all figure it was a man. But when he  came home there was no name . Nobody here claimed his body  but we all knew he was a solider.
Now whenever any loved one dies in the war someone replaces those boots with a new pair of the love ones they lost.  That solider is one who has fought for  you Thomas. Do you like like living in Amercia where they call it the land of the free the home of the brave?  Of course I do Papa.  Well you can thank a solider for the life you have. The solider has put his life on the line to fight for you and me and everyone else in America. 
When it comes to memorial day  this is a day where we can honor all the men and women. This is a day to say thank you to all the ones who died for us in wars. 
Papa look there is a lady and looks like she is carrying a pair of boots.  I see her Thomas look like she is headed our way. Hello Mam said Thomas and his Papa.  Did you lose someone in a war Mam ask Thomas? Yes son I did. I lost my son but he is buried across the country where his wife and family can visit.  Then why do you come here ask Thomas? I ask my daughter in law if I could have one thing of my son's and she gave me his boots and I know this solider fought for our country just like my son. So to me it is a place of comfort and I put his boots here the same reason as everyone else. What is that Mam ask Thomas?  So everyone knows what it is to walk in a soldiers  shoes.
Thomas are you ready to go? Yes Papa Oh  I need to go do one thing . Thomas ran back to the lady and said Mam what was your son's name and she said  Joe. Thomas bent over the shoes and said Joe thank you for fighting for  me and my country and when he ran to catch up to his Papa his Papa had a tear in his eye. He said Thomas I do believe you have learned the meaning of memorial day.

Written by Patricia Marie (patty} 05/17/2011
  

Edited 2 times by PattyM12 May 18 11 4:16 PM.