As a veteran, my husband is very serious about the military and very patriotic. We are raising our children to be this way as well, respecting and appreciating our military. Memorial Day is a very important day for honoring specifically those who have died protecting and fighting for our country. My husband explains to our children what this means and each year, they begin to understand more as they grow older.

At the close of each day in season for the last 40 years on Sunset Beach in Cape May, New Jersey, there is a flag ceremony to honor a veteran whose casket flag has been flown at the mast for the day on the end of Sunset Boulevard. We attended this ceremony for Memorial Day and it was very moving. The soldier’s family speaks about all of his or her achievements and bravery, then TAPS is played while the flag is lowered. We talked to our children about what was going to happen and what it would represent. They were silent as we watched the flag and listened to TAPS play just before sunset. A woman actually came up to me and handed me a $20 bill, telling me to buy our children ice cream because of how respectful and quiet they were. We had actually enjoyed hot dogs and ice cream as a a family at “The Grille” prior to the ceremony.

After the flag was lowered and the sun began to set, we stood together watching the waves crash. The girls desperately wanted to put their feet into the freezing water so we let them. The shore was covered in more shells than I’ve seen at any other beach and I was surprised as I sifted through them and found some of the most beautiful rocks and shells that I’ve ever seen. I even found several stunning pieces of sea glass!

At Sunset Beach, there are also interesting pieces of history. The concrete ship, known as S.S. Atlantus, was used to transport American troops home from Europe after World War I ended. It was to be a ferry dock but on June 8th, 1926, a storm left the ship off the coast of Sunset Beach and it couldn’t be freed so it has become a tourist attraction. There is also a lighthouse near Sunset Beach on Sunset Boulevard which was a lookout tower during World World II.

Our Memorial Day was full of love, learning, and beauty. As I gazed at the sun setting, I could think of only two words…”thank you.”