There are many holidays on our calendars – some official, like Memorial Day, and some less official, like Mother’s Day, which is “unofficial” only in the sense that no one gets a paid day off for it. Yet May brings us one of each, and in my humble opinion, both are equally important in shaping who we are and how we remember the people who made our lives possible.
We begin the month by celebrating the most important woman in most of our lives: our mother. My own mother, Dorothy “Dot” Helen Smith Hurst Ishee, has been gone for many years now, and I still miss her every single day. I was blessed with wonderful parents who – depending on who you ask – are responsible for the person I became. Dad was a good man, but not an outgoing communicator, and he worked long hours. Mom, on the other hand, was the one who steered the ship. She wasn’t afraid to point out when I drifted off the straight and narrow, and she had a way of delivering advice that stuck with you long after the conversation ended.
When I needed guidance, she was the one I turned to. Even today, Big Brother Max and I still laugh about some of her classic sayings – those little one‑liners she kept ready for every situation. They were funny then, and they’re comforting now. They remind us of who she was: steady, wise, and always ready to nudge us back in the right direction.
So, this is to my mom, and to all the great moms out there: Happy Mother’s Day – even if it isn’t a “real” holiday in the eyes of the federal government. Maybe one day we’ll get a Mother’s Day Monday off. If anyone deserves a long weekend in their honor, it’s mothers.
Later in the month, we turn to a holiday that is official, solemn, and deeply meaningful: Memorial Day. I was blessed by timing and circumstance not to be required to serve in the military. But my father, Max B. Hurst, Sr., served in World War II, and Big Brother Max served in Vietnam. Thank God they both came home. Many families were not as fortunate.
That is what Memorial Day truly honors. Not hot dogs, hamburgers, or the unofficial start of summer. It honors the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice so the rest of us can live freely, speak freely, worship freely, and pursue the lives we choose. To those individuals, I say a heartfelt “Thank you.” There are no words that can fully express what their sacrifice means to our country and to the world.
If you know a family who has lost someone in service to our nation, take a moment this month to say, “Thank you, and Happy Memorial Day.” A small gesture can carry enormous meaning.
And if your mom is still with you, give her a call. Tell her you love her. Wish her a Happy Mother’s Day. Both holidays remind us of the same truth: life is short, love is precious, and gratitude is never wasted.
Happy Mother’s Day, Happy Memorial Day, and Happy May.
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