Stormeyes Enchanted

Memorial Day used to mean something different when I was a child.

It meant loading up with my mom, grandparents, and aunt, and heading to plant flowers on graves of family members I’d never met—but somehow still felt connected to. It was tradition. It was reverent. It was quiet.

Later, it became the Velvet Ice Cream festival at Ye Old Mill—car shows, crafters, picnics, and those long, winding lines for scoops of summer. It was fun. Sweet. Wholesome.

But somewhere along the way, something shifted.

Now, Memorial Day feels loud.
Busy.
Commercialized.

Sales.
Pool parties.
Graduation blowouts.
“Happy Memorial Day” banners that forget this was never meant to be a celebration—but a remembrance.

And now, after my own loss, it feels different again.
Heavier. More sacred. More real.

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🕊 What Memorial Day Really Means

Memorial Day, officially observed on the last Monday in May, began after the Civil War as a way to honor fallen soldiers.
It was once called Decoration Day, when families decorated the graves of those who gave everything in service to this country.

But remembering doesn’t have to stop at military service.
For many of us, grief doesn’t wear a uniform.
It wears the smile of a child we miss.
The voice of a parent who shaped us.
The touch of someone who changed our lives.

This weekend, I invite you to pause.
To remember.
To make room for both the heaviness and the joy.

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🌸 5 Gentle Ways to Honor Loved Ones This Memorial Day

Whether you’re grieving a soldier, a child, or someone you simply loved with your whole heart, here are quiet ways to remember them:

1. Plant something in their name – A flower, a tree, or even a pot of herbs. New life can honor a life once lived.
2. Visit a cemetery or memorial garden – Bring flowers, clean the headstone, sit and speak their name out loud.
3. Light a candle at dusk – Let it glow while you tell a story or memory to someone else—or just to yourself.
4. Cook their favorite meal – Food has a beautiful way of keeping traditions alive.
5. Write them a letter – Or a journal entry. Let your words connect across the divide.

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🍓 Sweet Simplicity: Red, White & Blue Berry Trifle

Want something beautiful to bring to a gathering that also holds space for remembrance?

Try this:

• 1 angel food cake, cubed
• 1 container whipped topping
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 1 cup blueberries
• 1/2 cup raspberries

In a clear trifle bowl or glass cups, layer cake, whipped topping, and berries. Repeat. Top with more whipped topping and a star of fruit on top.

Each layer can hold a memory, a name, a moment.

Let it be sweet in their honor.

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💬 This Weekend, Let’s Remember

It’s okay to gather.
It’s okay to celebrate.
But let’s not forget to remember.

To feel the stillness between the music.
To whisper a name while the grill sizzles.
To light a candle before the fireworks.

Because remembrance doesn’t steal the joy—it deepens it.

💛 What About You?

Do you have plans this Memorial Day weekend?

Whether you’re heading to a local festival, grilling out with family, planting something beautiful, or simply enjoying a quiet moment of remembrance—

✨ I’d love to hear how you’re spending the weekend.

Drop a comment, share your favorite tradition, or tell me who you’re remembering this year. Let’s hold space for both the joy and the memory—together.

Light and Love ~Mandy