Today is a special day in the U.S. It is a time not only to reflect on sacrifices made by our military from the birth of the United States to the present day. As I listen to the Memorial Day edition of Financial Aid Podcast, here are my reflections.
I am grateful for the sacrifices made by our military. For some of us, Memorial Day touches our lives on a more personal level. In my family, we visit the graves of those who we’ve loved and lost.
On a crystal clear day in Dec. 1998, two vehicles were racing around a curve into a small sleepy town that our family lived in at the time. One of those vehicles crossed the center line and met my brother’s car head on. He was killed instantly in the accident. And in that instant, my family changed dramatically.
Today, I grieve the most for my brother. Losing the person that you grew up with changes your perspective on life. For me, it also changed my perspective on faith. Something I still am struggling with today.
The biggest question that still exists for me is if I had acted differently that day, called out to him as he got into the car, made him talk to me for a couple of more minutes as I had been tempted to do, would he still be alive right now. While over time, the answer to that question seems less important, on days like today it is on my mind and in my heart.
pixie dust and tantrums... 
The past is a closed book. You cannot change it, and wondering what might have been only robs you of the present. Remember, yes. Use the memories to motivate you, to be brilliant, to shine here and now, so that you have something of great worth to dedicate to his memory.