Our Holidays

It was the end of May when we had our meeting at our Senior Home. "Our subject is 'Our  National Holidays' "said our Emcee Karen,"Memorial Day, Veteran's Day, New Year's Day, Independence Day, Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Day, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Thanksgiving, and all the
national holidays that we celebrate to honor our great heroes and heroines. Tomorrow is Memorial Day. So who wants to be the first to 'share' her remembrances of that day?"
Claire raised her hand,"I will." she said,"My sister and I were very young at the onset of WW11, seeing our uncles and cousins in uniform ,being sent to war was something we'd never forget. Grandma had to live through the daily dread of getting bad news from the Armed Forces, Mom and Dad prayed for their brothers that were overseas. Thankfully they all got home alive, though some with injuries, But each and every year especially on Memorial Day and Veteran's Day we relive that time as though it was yesterday! A hum of sympathy went through the room from those who have had similar experiences.

" 'Mother's Day' is this month too, and then 'Father's Day'," said Karen," so who would like to speak next? "she asked. Barbara stood up, "When we were kids we couldn't wait for Mother's Day to make her Mother's Day cards. We drew pictures and designs with crayons and sometimes pasted on words from old magazines," She laughed, "Mom saved them all so when I see them now I recall how when she got them she acted as if we were so talented!" Barbara doubled over with laughter."I wish you all could see them! And now" she continued," before we could blink our eyes it is we who are the recipients of the cards and flowers and candy from our kids! It's wonderful that it continues, isn't it, even now when we are old... uh...er."

Lily raised her hand,"NOW  we have another holiday that celebrates us...'Grandparents'  Day!"
"It's in September," said Lily."It's  not known as widely as Mother's and Father's Day. How many of you haven't heard of it until now?" Several hands went up. "It started at least 30 years ago. But never got the publicity that Mother's Day and Father's Day did."
" Ha.....no surprise!" exclaimed Rhonda. "Well, I have another day that should be a National Holiday too.! GREAT GRANDPARENTS DAY.  I  myself have 3."
" Wow! You have 3 Great Grandparents!" said Thelma.      
"Uh uh" said Rhonda," Is it even possible at my age? I'm 80 years old. How old would a Great Grand-parent would have to be? Let's see .. uh, uh you people do the arithmetic, I can't.  ..............No. I have 3 great grandchildren." She answered wearily. The audience  of seniors rocked with laughter.
And then there was a flurry of happy excitement as around the room the seniors passed around pictures of babies and small children.

Until Glenda got up. She was teary eyed and they all settled down to listen to her, "You're talking about greeting cards made by children for their parents and that's wonderful. But I'm thinking now about Valentine's Day, and the cards my honey sent me ...every year for so many years,"she dabbed at her eyes "the most beautiful cards, with the most loving words, but he always wrote in his own words. He's gone now and all I have left are those cards that I read over and over again."
"Oh" said  the emcee," What a sweet and warm way to end our session... so until our next meeting..."

"NOT YET!" called out Belinda,"I have a Holiday to talk about!"
"Fine," said Karen,  "which one?"
"Well, it needs a name, I'm not sure what to call it."
 A stir went through the audience. They were used to Belinda and her offbeat ideas which most of them thought were creative and interesting...and also a little kookie.
Karen gave her a 'Go Ahead' nod.
"My holiday," began Belinda, "took place with 2 people... nobody knows who they were... eons ago, nobody knows when... and nobody knows where. What we do know is that as they walked along a meadow, a field, she  saw something and held his arm..."Wait. look, that roundish white thing near the animal....what is it?"
" Ugh, I don't know. Why?"
" I'm wondering if it's something we could eat".
He held his stomach, "Ugh, you can't be serious!"
"Come on," she said. "let's go get it."
"Ugh," he said again, "Y'know you're getting weirder by the day. But you're never boring, I'll say that!"
"We can even cook it," she said.
So for the first human being that had the curiosity, the nerve and the chutzbah to crack open a foreign object, and EAT it for Goodness Sake! she deserves our thanks!
Her discovery made untold billions of us happy at breakfast and at every meal and the credit for the naming of it she gave to her loved one who because he repeated his expression over and over "Ugh" she named it "EGG".
 And calls the holiday "Discovery Day."

                                                      THE END