Nearly every time I am in the elevator to bring laundry to the basement, John, an elderly resident of the building, seems to be in elevator at the same time, also doing laundry. He's very pleasant and talkative and typically says my name emphatically "Laura!" and has often told me the same story about the 1944 film noir classic "Laura" that I was named after. "...And that scene when Clifton Webb comes in and sees Laura...Now that's a movie!" John is taking care of his wife, who is quite sick, and from the sounds of his stories, it hasn't been easy. My own father took on this role a couple summers ago when my stepmother Carol was very sick and he spearheaded her home care. "You just do what you need to do," he told me at the time.
Looking at the Statue of Liberty across the harbor, the iconic symbol of our country and the many freedoms we enjoy, it's often easy to focus on Memorial Day as the ushering in of summertime fun and not take a few minutes to think about honoring the origin of the day . Besides barbecues, ice cream, riding bikes and the beach, it's also about remembering all acts of service, all acts of love.
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