It's OK that Memorial Day weekend has become partly an opportunity to get away with the family ... that's important in a world where there are fewer and fewer opportunities for that purpose.
But that is only if we never forget the true reason for Memorial Day.
We should never forget the sacrifice made by Joshua Rodgers, killed in Afghanistan on May 30, 2007, or of Bryan Bolander, killed in Iraq on April 29, or of so many more who've fallen in this war and the ones that came before.
There's a debt we owe to those who've made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. It is not an exaggeration to say it is because of them that we enjoy our freedoms.
Please think of that this Memorial Day, and teach your children to do the same. How you do that is up to you. Attend a parade or service, tell the stories of people in your family who have served, or just talk about why Memorial Day was established. Tell them about people who loved their country so much they were willing to die for it.
And then they, too, will understand why people like that should never be forgotten.
• This editorial represents the view of the Nevada Appeal Editorial Board.