Memorial Day is serious business—a time to pause and give thanks for those who have died for what they believe in, especially those here in the United States who fought for the freedoms we enjoy.

But I thought you’d appreciate some interesting tidbits about Memorial Day traditions that took me by surprise.

• Honoring the war dead goes back centuries—at least to ancient Greece and Rome. In 431 B.C., Athenian general and statesman Pericles delivered a funeral oration praising those who had given their lives in the Peloponnesian War. It was reportedly part of an annual public funeral for the war dead and was later included in Thucydides’ history of the conflict.
• One of the earliest U.S. commemorations of war dead was organized by recently freed slaves. On May 1, 1865, hundreds of freed slaves, along with regiments of the U.S. Colored Troops and a few white Charlestonians, gathered at a former Confederate prisoner-of-war camp—once a racetrack near Charleston’s Citadel. Their purpose was to consecrate a proper burial site for Union soldiers who had died there from disease or exposure and been buried in a mass grave. The event was dedicated to the “Martyrs of the Race Course.”
• Memorial Day didn’t become a U.S. federal holiday until 1971. Its roots go back to May 1868, when the holiday was known as “Decoration Day.” General John A. Logan, commander-in-chief of the Union veterans’ group known as the Grand Army of the Republic, decreed that May 30 should become a day of commemoration for the more than 620,000 soldiers killed in the Civil War.
• Several towns claim to be the holiday’s birthplace. President Lyndon Johnson designated Waterloo, New York, as the “official birthplace of Memorial Day” in 1966 when he signed the holiday legislation. But other communities also lay claim to the title, including Boalsburg, PA; Carbondale, IL; Columbus, MS; and Columbus, GA.
• The holiday took years to become official. Even after President Johnson’s 1966 legislation, it was several more years before Congress passed the measure and Memorial Day was recognized as a federal holiday nationwide.
• Other Memorial Day traditions include the National Moment of Remembrance, when Americans pause at 3 p.m. local time, and the running of the Indianapolis 500.

My Personal Heroes

Dad—also known in our family as Grandy, Uncle Jim, or Jim Herbert—served as an Army Air Corps fighter pilot during World War II. He flew 14 combat missions in P-38s and 43 missions in P-51s over Europe and deep into Russia, earning the Air Medal with five oak leaf clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross. He served his country bravely, and I know how proud he was to be an American. One of the earliest lessons I learned from him was this:

America is worth fighting for.

America is worth fighting for.

All of my uncles and six of my husband’s uncles served in World War II. I hold them in my heart today with gratitude:

• Beverley Herbert, Jr.
• George Hart
• Edmund Taylor
• Bruce Thomson
• Wesley Cottrell
• Wade Cottrell
• William Cottrell
• Willard Cottrell
• Harold Cottrell
• Fred Arto

I also want to recognize all my Cottonbaler friends of the 7th Infantry Regiment Association who fought in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. Cottonbalers have served in campaigns going back to the War of 1812 and continuing through active duty in today’s conflicts. For many years, I was the producer of their quarterly Cottonbaler newsletter, and I’m proud to have been named an honorary member of their association. They are a fine group of Americans.

And of course, there are so many more. Whoever you are, wherever you are—I thank you.

Perhaps there’s someone in your own family or among your friends who has served his or her country. A gesture of gratitude from you—a note, an email, a phone call—might mean more than you can possibly imagine.

The Miracle of the Roses
O Milagre das Rosas
A bilingual Children’s Book: English and Portuguese
Story by Angela Costa Simões
Illustrations by Mariana Flores
Published 2026 by Riso Books

I’m often asked to review books, and at first I declined this one, thinking it wasn’t a good match for my Heartspoken theme of Connection. I changed my mind, however, when I learned a bit more about it.

First of all, I love children’s books when they’re done well. This one tells the story from Portugal about their beloved Queen Saint Isabel, “a princess whose kindness, courage, and faith change the lives of people all around her.” When I read it, I realized that the actions of this princess, later queen—even when she was quite young—were the epitome of all four of the Heartspoken Life’s essential connections: with God, with Self, with Others, and with Nature.

Through her faith and her love of family, three different times and with three different generations of men, Queen Isabel worked hard for peace between fighting factions and family members. She wrote them letters to try to get the warring parties to reconcile. Of course, I was enchanted by the role of these letters.

Children will love the miracle of the roses and will be taken by Queen Isabel’s kindness, her bravery, and the way her subjects adored her. Even today, the people of Portugal celebrate her with an annual feast.

Each page of the book gives both English and Portuguese versions of the story. I love this idea for a children’s book. It could help children of different cultures better understand each other and appreciate the values that transcend national boundaries. It offers a meaningful way to explore faith, generosity, and heritage—while also supporting early language learning.

The publishers suggest this book will appeal especially to Catholic and Christian families looking for engaging children’s books about saints, parents and educators interested in helping children learn Portuguese through storytelling, and readers seeking diverse, culturally rooted children’s literature.

The publisher, Riso Books, offers other books in Portuguese and English.

Order your copy today:

The Miracle of the Roses
O Milagre das Rosas
by Angela Costa Simões and illustrated by Mariana Flores

• Paperback from Amazon 
• Coloring and Activity book of the story from Amazon
  

As an Amazon affiliate, I may earn a small commission

Thank you for supporting my work through these links!

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Photo credits: Post photo created by Elizabeth Cottrell using Canva and book cover image. Author photo taken from the publisher’s website

NOTE FROM ELIZABETH: I am so honored to have this guest post from my friend Jill Strachan and am enormously grateful she was willing to share her experience of loss and healing after the sudden and unexpected death of her partner, Jane.

I am sometimes asked if it’s necessary to write to those who have sent us expressions of sympathy. While it’s not required, Jill discovered there were unexpected gifts in doing so. Her story speaks not only to the healing power of a note, but also to the myriad forms of connection we humans can cultivate and call on in the various circumstances of our lives.

What I Didn’t Know

by Jill Strachan

It took me five months to finish writing upwards of 150 notes by hand. I’m not bragging but trying to explain why I did this and to describe the gift which arrived as a result of completing this task.

Jane, my vibrant partner of almost thirty years died unexpectedly five months ago. She was sixty-three and just shy of retiring and taking on new projects and travels. I found her when I returned from a morning of errands, our dog Freddy by her side. Just like that, my life transformed in every way.

Jane was the brightest of stars, she shone wherever she was planted. During her youth in South Dakota and years abroad in the US Peace Corps in Malawi and work in the Czech Republic, she soaked up her surroundings and the people she met. She became chief financial officer for several non-profits and did a stint at The Washington Post wanting to know more about the newspaper business world. She met Katherine Graham in the elevator one day and I am sure after the encounter, Ms. Graham knew she had met a special person. She was a gifted musician, and her glorious alto voice graced the choral groups she joined. Her joyous laugh resounded wherever she went, embracing its recipients. As my partner, she was devoted and we weaved together a loving, fun relationship which suited us both.

Almost immediately after her death, condolences arrived in the form of flowers, phone calls, and emails. Then began a steady stream of sympathy cards and handwritten notes. People know what to do in this situation.

During my life, I have written letters, notes, long-winded emails to replace letters, and sympathy notes. If the person who died had a special place in my life, I tried to catch that connection with my words. But, not unusually, no one ever wrote me back. I understand the silence. Grief is profound and often takes charge, interfering with the rhythm of life and its regular duties.

It is not required that a response be issued for notes and gestures of condolence. Even so, when it came to Jane, I wanted to respond. I also needed to respond. I knew there was a deep well of sorrow at her departure which individuals shared with me. Hence, my tally of 150+ notes.

I began with people who had donated to the suggested memorial non-profit organization which Jane and I supported and where we had discovered abundant community. I used a postcard with a color picture of us on one side with words expressing gratitude. The other side provided space for a handwritten message and the recipient’s address. I would write anywhere from two sentences to five, trying to keep my handwriting legible, perhaps the most difficult part.

Writing these notes brought immense comfort. Describing Jane in differing ways, I could be funny and sincere in my portrayals, resulting in memories which could lead to a shared connection.

The gift for me was discovering I could also freely return friendship, love, and consolation to the person who had written to me. Composing these notes provided additional consolation as I chose words personal to the recipient.

I didn’t know this when I started writing. I know it now and I am swept away in the realization of the healing power carried by a few words.

About Jill Strachan

Jill P. Strachan left behind successful grant writing for the pleasures of creating nonfiction, traveling with her partner Jane, playing tennis, and walking her dog. Her career in arts and association management spanned 40 years. She holds a PhD in the History of Religion and sings in “Not What You Think,” an a cappella group offering songs of social justice with a side of humor. 

Jill has authored two books of memoir:

• Waterfalls, The Moon and Sensible Shoes: One Lesbian Life
• Boundaries Borders Crossings: One Lesbian Life 2.0

You can find my review of each under its Amazon listing. These are affiliate links.

Yesterday, March 20, was the Spring Equinox—the first official day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere—when the sun crosses directly over the Earth’s equator, giving us nearly equal hours of daylight and darkness.

And with it comes the unmistakable imagery of the season:

Light after dark. Warmth after cold. Wakefulness after sleep.
Sap flowing. Leaves greening. Flowers blooming. Birds nesting.
Longer days. Shorter nights. Spring rain on warm earth.
Life rising from the ground. Resurrection. Rebirth.

These images echo through all four of the essential connections of the Heartspoken life. Here’s how spring can renew each one—along with links to earlier posts that explore these themes more deeply.

Connect with God

Our relationship with God has its own seasons. Right now, the church year is nearing the end of Lent—that reflective, penitential season—and moving toward the remembrance of Jesus’s death and the glorious celebration of His resurrection on Easter Day.

If you find yourself in the grip of a spiritual winter, take heart. Think of that tiny seed buried in the cold, dark ground. It doesn’t stay there. It pushes upward, breaks through, and bursts into light. Your spring is coming too.

• Are You Freezing in the Midst of a Spiritual Winter?

• Nature Connects Us With God

Connect with Self

Spring is a perfect time to check in with yourself. There’s a reason the tradition of spring cleaning has endured for centuries: after a long winter of closed-up rooms, we crave a fresh start.

But don’t stop at the physical. Try a little spiritual spring cleaning too. What thoughts, grudges, or burdens have accumulated over the winter that no longer serve you? Toss them out. Breathe the fresh spring air and open yourself to beauty, hope, and inspiration.

• Spring Cleaning Can Blast You Out of Winter’s Black Hole
• Decluttering Isn’t Just for Closets and Inboxes

Connect with Others

As the weather warms and draws you outside, let it draw you back toward the people who make your life richer and more meaningful. Call someone today and make a plan to get together. Better yet, write a letter and mail it. There is no better season to reach out than one that’s all about new life and new beginnings.

• We’re Stronger Together
• Connection Is Love in Action

Connect with Nature

This is the perfect time to reconnect with the natural world, because after weeks of dull dormancy, every single day brings visible change.

Pick a place—a deck chair outside your door, a daily walk to the mailbox, a nearby park bench—and pay attention. Watch the buds swelling into leaves and flowers. Notice the animal, bird, and insect activity. Listen for the sounds of the season: spring peepers cavorting in a nearby puddle, birdsong as they seek a mate, the first lawnmower of the year rumbling to life. Breathe in the fragrance. Even the rain smells different now.

• My “View from the Bench” series — as it changes through the seasons
• Have You Seen These Signs of Spring?

Which of your four connections needs the most renewal this spring? I’d love to hear — leave a comment below.”

Step outside into the sunshine today, even if you still need a jacket.

Take a deep breath and pause to give thanks for being alive.

______________________

If reflections like these nourish your spirit, I’d love to stay connected. Join the Heartspoken community using the form below and receive inspiration for your four essential connections — delivered straight to your inbox.

Haiku is an ancient Japanese form of poetry consisting of seventeen syllables in three lines of five, seven, and five. In a mysterious way, the strict limitation sometimes evokes stronger expression.

I was inspired in 2025 to write daily haiku after reading Emily P. Freeman’s haiku in her Lenten Collection for her Quiet Collection app. The practice was so meaningful that I have continued it this year.

Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and continues until Holy Saturday (the day before Easter). The total number of calendar days in that span is 46 days. However, there are six Sundays during Lent. Because each Sunday is considered a weekly celebration of the Resurrection—a “mini-Easter”—they are not included in the penitential 40-day count.

When a specific Scripture passage or reading has inspired an entry, it is noted in parenthesis.

Ash Wednesday

And so it begins
You have felt so distant, Lord.
Dare I beg you now?

I take a deep breath
It’s Lent. I will ask boldly:
Make your presence known.

Lent Day 2, Thursday

Do not fret yourself.
The psalmist said it clearly.
Put your trust in God.
(Psalm 37)

Lent Day 3, Friday

Whatever is true
Whatever is just and pure
Think on these things.
(Philippians 4:8)

Lent Day 4, Saturday

Memorized scripture
is mine wherever I go
God speaking to me

This line when I’m sad:
“…but joy comes in the morning…”
brings hope and comfort
(Psalm 30:5b)

First Sunday in Lent

Life’s not “either/or”
Each side insists it is right
My way or nothing

Dark exists with Light
Death with Life; Hope with Despair
Embrace the tension

Lent Day 5, Monday

The question for Lent
is not “What will I give up?”
but “Who will I be?”

(inspired by A Grown-Up Lent by Joanna Leiserson)

Lent Day 6, Tuesday

A better question
As I seek God during Lent:
”Whose will I be now?”

(inspired by A Grown-Up Lent by Joanna Leiserson)

Lent Day 7, Wednesday

Did Jesus have doubts?
Did he struggle with his faith?
He was human too.

Day 8, Thursday

I’ve made space each day
To draw near and be quiet
You are all around.

Day 9, Friday

Scripture is quite clear
Our body is a temple
Of the Holy Spirit

I must take more care
In what I eat…how I move
To steward this gift.

(1 Cor 6: 19-20 and 1 Cor 3: 16-17)

Day 10, Saturday

Love God. Love others.
Love is always the answer.
But it’s not easy.

(Mark 12:28-31)

Second Sunday in Lent

Rest on the sabbath
What does “rest” mean for me?
I rest in thee, Lord.

Lent 11, Monday

God is in plain sight
The sacred is everywhere
I must pause to see

Lent 12, Tuesday

Should I chase answers
To life, to faith, to purpose…
Or live with the questions?

(inspired by The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston)

Lent 13, Wednesday

Impulse to find God
Is central to every faith
Seek and ye shall find

(inspired by The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston and Matthew 7:7)

Lent 14, Thursday

Interrelated:
All things…all humanity
One hurts…we all hurt

(inspired by The Four Vision Quests of Jesus by Steven Charleston and Matthew 7:7)

Lent 15, Friday

I can’t shake the thought:
Christ is The Great Disruptor
Scary…thrilling too

(inspired by Lectio365.com 3/4/26)

Lent 16, Saturday

They were prayer warriors
Desert Fathers and Mothers
Seeking God and Truth

(inspired by Lectio365.com Lent series introduction)

Third Sunday in Lent

This is my struggle:
Can I trust God with my prayers?
Most seem unanswered

But is this the point?
Unanswered is not unheard
So I keep praying

Lent 17, Monday

A new day, new week
Beginnings are so hopeful
What’s your hope this week?

Lent 18, Tuesday

Spring peepers are out
Such a raucous, joyful sound
New growth all around

Lent 19, Wednesday

Living the questions
I overthink everything
Faith asks me to trust

Lent 20, Thursday

God the Creator
Is easy to believe in
Just look at Nature

The rest is harder
Son of God? Dying for sins?
Help my unbelief

(Inspired by Mark 9:24)
We’re halfway through the 40 days of Lent.

Lent 21, Friday

Yet that still small voice
Whispers louder than my doubts:
“It’s all about Love.”

Lent 22, Saturday

For twenty-four hours,
I didn’t pick up my phone
My husband loved it

I like digital
But it is a distraction
People matter more

Fourth Sunday in Lent

Sabbath rest is here
Pause from Lenten disciplines
Rejoice and give thanks

Lent 23, Monday

Miracle of God:
A world in every raindrop
And worlds within worlds

(inspired by a photo postcard from Holly Cook Photography and “The Answer,” written by Richie Sambora and Bruce Foster and sung by Richie Sambora)

Lent 24, Tuesday

Erasable pens
Perfect for editing poems
Not so good for life

Lent 25, Wednesday

Such a tricky word
“Why?” fuels creativity
And great inventions

But it’s the question
That faith grapples with each day
Why this, Lord? Why me?

Lent 26, Thursday

The world’s need…so great
I am only one person
Show me how to help

Lent 27, Friday

I want to do all
But it’s not all mine to do
Teach me discernment

Lent 28, Saturday

Just two weeks from now
we recall your empty tomb
The fear and despair

Fifth Sunday in Lent

Sundays are different
Each a mini Easter Day
A Resurrection

Lent 29, Monday

Hope needs space to grow
Our job is to plow out this space
From the rubble of life

(Inspired by Emily P. Freeman’s Lent Collection in her Quiet app)

Lent 30, Tuesday

Some seem to be lost
No one is beyond God’s love
Don’t give up on them

Lent 31, Wednesday

We are all wounded
Even those we think are not
Be compassionate

Lent 32, Thursday

Pride gets in our way
It’s okay to ask for help
It lets others share

Lent 33, Friday

Childhood memories
hold clues to our best self
To God’s plan for us

(inspired by this post in Amelia Wilson’s “Happy on Purpose” publication

Lent 34, Saturday

Quiet time is key
How else can we hear your voice…
Find clarity?

Palm Sunday

Renew and restore
That’s the purpose of Sabbath
The gift of worship

Lent 35, Monday

Blessed are those who mourn
So many kinds of grief, loss
Christ promised comfort

Lent 36, Tuesday

When my own faith wanes
I borrow from the great ones
Who chose to persevere

Therese of Lisieux
Bonhoeffer, John of the Cross
Mother Teresa

Lent 37, Wednesday

What would it be like
To see through Jesus’s eyes
With love, compassion?

Would I stop striving…
Stop worrying, be braver…
Be less quick to judge?

(Inspired by Lectio365 post on 3/9/26)

Lent 38, Thursday

This was their last night
Tomorrow the world would change
How could they have known?

He tried to tell them
What is He telling me know?
Am I listening?

Lent 39, Good Friday

Death comes to us all
But not like that—on a cross
The horror of it…

I think of Mary
Her mother’s heart was broken
Hope waits in the dark

Lent 40, Holy Saturday

He made promises
In their grief, did they recall?
Was despair too deep?

This in between day
Waiting in fear and lost dreams
Are you waiting too?

Easter Sunday

Inconceivable
The rolled stone, the empty tomb
Yes! He is risen!

But what does it mean?
Today, after all these years?
Grace calls…I follow

With so much upheaval in the world, I find myself entering the season of Lent already on my knees praying for so much that is entirely out of my control. I revisit and share this post—and one of my few attempts at poetry below—in early Lent each year in hopes that you, too, will find it a season to pause and turn inward. That still small voice of God’s Holy Spirit is waiting for us.  

Lent as a church season

Lent begins with Ash Wednesday and ends with Easter. It consists of 40 weekdays, observed by Christians as a penitential and devotional preparation for Holy Week and Easter Sunday’s remembrance of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also a liturgical commemoration of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert before starting his public ministry.

Lent as a personal pilgrimage

Growing up in the Episcopal Church, it was traditional to give up something we enjoyed during Lent (e.g., chocolate or dessert or meat on Fridays). In recent years, though, I prefer to use the time to take on a new discipline: a book study, additional daily prayer time, a retreat. I write more often in my prayer journal so I can be intentional about my connection and conversation with God. I try hard to adopt the mindset of using whatever I take on—or give up—as a reminder to focus on God, not just as a self-improvement project. Even small changes to my daily routine can trigger a reminder of God and give me an opportunity, however brief, to commune with Him.

Lent is a time to slow down and step away from the hustle and bustle of daily life. According to Merriam-Webster, the word derives from Old English “lente” meaning springtime, but I wonder if it doesn’t also have the same roots as the French word “lent” which means “slow.” Many times in his life, Christ himself modeled for us the importance of seeking the slower pace he found in solitude. This intentional time for communion with God was essential to his ministry. It is surely essential for us too.

Lent has long moved me. I find my sensitivity to Spirit quickens at this time, primarily, I’m sure because I make the space for it. I write very little poetry, but in 2003, Lent inspired me to write Lent Calls, and I share it with you here. I wish I could say I have progressed spiritually from the tug of worldly demands I was feeling when I wrote it, but alas I still fall far short of where I’d like to be in that regard.

Below the poem is the beautifully illustrated rendition done by my incredibly talented friend Lynne Crumpacker. If there is sufficient interest, I will get it printed on quality paper, ready for framing. Please let me know using the contact form on this site’s Get In Touch Page if you want to be put on a no-obligation list to be notified if printing and pricing are decided.

Lent Calls

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