*Thank You

Intro: What a wonderful weekend. I'm glad for the opportunity to remember. Thank you.

A waving flag, a flurry of motion, the sound of a loud brass band. Sally Sue of 3rd West and 42 South waited anxiously. The parade was always the best best part during the holiday, and not just because of the candy thrown from the car windows. The fireworks were always pretty but at age seven, it was difficult to remain awake long enough to see them.

“Sally Sue, come out of the street.” Mother called.

She moved back to the small strip of grass between the road and the sidewalk. It was a hot summer so even with all the watering, the grass was still yellow, prickly, and not comfortable to sit on. Her brother, Timothy James, TJ, was taking up the whole blanket. Sally Sue pranced around on the grass while waiting anxiously.

“Did you hear that?” She asked, edging towards the street and looking around all the legs. There was a cheer further down the street. Did you hear that?” Sally Sue asked again, putting a toe on the asphalt of the road.

“Sally Sue, get back here.”

Reluctantly, she moved back to the blanket where TJ grabbed her ankle.

“Are they coming?” He asked.

Sally Sue poked her head around the legs and looked down the street. There, in the distance, were flags.

“They're coming!” She shrieked. “They're coming.”

TJ ran into Sally Sue's back in his excitement. They waved to the floats and TJ ran around catching all the taffy. As the parade wore on, Sally Sue danced around tugging on Father's.

“Are they coming? Why are they always last?”

Father crouched down. “They're last so we remember when everything is over.”

Another large band went by. Sally Sue ate a stale piece of candy and TJ yelled at her. There were more floats, more cars, more people Sally Sue didn't want to see.

As the last car drove slowly down the street, an air of silence settled on the crowd. Sally moved forward on the edge of the crowd and proudly placed her hand on her heart. Several dozen men and women in uniform, walked along the street. More were riding in cars. Sally Sue rubbed at her eyes and took Father's hand. Grandfather would never been seen in the parade. Sally Sue had never even seen him. Father had only been a toddler when Grandfather's boat was sunk.

Sally Sue blew a kiss to an older soldier and was glad when she smiled. When the last of the soldiers passed by, Sally Sue hugged Father's leg and they headed home. They stopped at the cemetery to place the little flags at the grave of her Grandparents. Sally Sue clutched the flag Father gave her tightly. As she pressed it into the ground she gently touched the tombstone.

“Thank you, Grandpa.”