There is no easy way to say this, but I am a complete and utter failure when my son asks me tough questions. Let me give you an example, when my youngest son asked about his non-verbal autistic brother, "Why can't my brother talk?"
I am standing there like a deer caught in headlights. My mind was racing. How do I explain this to my then, 7 year old son? I have these huge eyes and my mouth wide open hoping that my brain will come up with something quick. I am in a panic and my son is looking at me for an answer and then...... My husband over hears and he is able to quickly come up with an eloquent answer about how we are all different. He says that my oldest was born with certain challenges that we are lucky that we don't have. (And it was worded even nicer than that, but I can't remember it exactly.) I am still standing there with my mouth wide open trying to recover from my panic and horror that I was going to have to come up with an answer. This is me. And this was just one example.
So the other day my son says, "Memorial Day is about shopping and getting a day off from school." Again, I am just standing there with my mouth wide open trying to come up with an eloquent way to explain to an 8 year old that that is definitely not what Memorial Day is about. And then I am thinking what kind of a crappy parent am I that my son has NO IDEA on what this day represents and the sacrifices that these men and women have made for this country. The ultimate sacrifice. So I said, "What? NOOOOOOOO. That is NOT what Memorial Day is about." (I know-- epic fail.) Then my husband came home and did a much better job explaining about our military and our freedoms and how much we owe to these men and women that we are honoring. (I just can't come up with these things without hours of thought.)
I am so grateful for all of the freedoms that I get to enjoy. I can vote. I can express my political beliefs without worrying about being carted off to jail. I can practice my religion in peace or not practice at all. I can drive. I can be what I want to be. And I can shop at Memorial Day sales! My family enjoys a peaceful day to day existence. The list goes on and on. They are all things I take for granted but I owe it to the soldiers that lost their lives defending our freedom.
So I am happy to say that my son no longer things today is a shopping holiday. We are having a sale. I think it is a win/win.