A Quiet Memorial Day

Memorial Day is celebrated to remember the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. It is also a day to thank those who are alive for their invaluable service to the country. This day, too, is often referred to as the "unofficial" start of summer, as households across the US dust up their grills and have a barbeque.

In past years, someone, somewhere hosted an BBQ, and we'd get invited weeks in advance. This year, it was quite different. It was quiet. Probably people were just too busy with other stuff and totally forgot about it, or they were tired of hosting one. Either way, I was resolved with the fact that it would be a quiet, uneventful holiday.

My son's bud celebrated his birthday on Wednesday the week prior, then had a sleep over at his house with my son and their 2 other buddies on Sunday. The next day, they hosted an impromptu get-together and invited the buds' families and theirs for some BBQ, Filipino-style. From the grill, we had chicken and pork on skewers, both marinated in soy sauce and lemon, plus some sweet corn on the cob. Then, there was a variety of noodles, salads, and desserts as well.

It was a relaxing, unexpected treat, minus the alcohol. And the company, and all the chatter, was always the best part.