Attending war victims

 Memorial day is a time to honor those who have fallen in war, but I think that there are many ways to do this, and one is to find a way to help those who were victimized by the war.  Now victims could be people who were directly impacted, people who lost their homes or were injured in a war, but it could also be people who were indirectly impacted, like family members of people who were lost in the war.  War reaches far and wide and when you stop and think about it, there are many people who could be considered war victims.

You might ask how helping victims fits the purpose of the holiday, but I feel like many soldiers fought to help people, whether they believed in the goals of the war or if they were trying to defend their loved ones.  We don't live in a vacuum, and the reasons behind the actions often show us so much.  If the people who fought (and died) did it for other people, it makes sense that finding ways to do things for people who have suffered due to the war would be an homage to the soldiers who lost their lives in the same war.

A very simple way to meld these two concepts together is to ask people to tell you about their loved ones who were lost in war.  Memories help keep people alive, and sharing memories (even with a stranger who didn't know the person involved) helps people feel close to their lost loved one.  Especially if it is an older person, they may feel like they are the only one left who remembers a particular story, or even a person. 

Other little gestures can mean a whole lot as well.  There are many graveyard traditions for different groups, from placing flowers on a grave, to putting coins on the headstone, to leaving trinkets or offering food (or other types of things).  Learning about these traditions gives you new ways to help honor those who have died, but also let the people who remember and love them know that other people are thinking of them too.  Going to the grave of someone you cared about and seeing signs that other people have been there and paid their respects can make them feel a little less alone.

There are also often memorial style services for specific wars and groups of soldiers, and you might feel like this is something you want to help with.  Often these are run by volunteers, and they frequently appreciate any help that is offered.  You can contact the people in charge of running the event and see what they need help with, and what you can give.  If you are busy, this might mean donating supplies or money, but if you don't have any of those to spare, you might offer your time instead.

And sadly there is always conflict going on somewhere in the world, so there are opportunities to help victims of ongoing wars.  Again, there are many ways to help, from finding a charity to contribute to, offering up your time and energy to send care packages or write letters, or (depending on where you live and your means) actively helping to take care of refugees or other survivors.

Even in our own homes, when we set out a memorial for those who lost their lives in conflict, we can also light a candle for those who have lost other things but still remain.  We can think about what those soldiers might have done, had they come home, who they might have embraced and who is crying over their grave.  When we bring comfort to those people, we honor the soldier they cared about.

Memorial day will always be a somber holiday, but by remembering the victims who remain, we can shift a bit of that sadness into a sense of community.  We can keep the soldiers memories alive, especially to the people who knew and loved them.  We can look after the people that those soldiers are no longer able to care for.  And we can create something lovely out of the loss that their deaths created in the world.