As is my habit, or maybe my tradition, I want to wish everyone a very safe and enjoyable Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully, we can all enjoy some down time with our families, friends, and loved ones during this “unofficial start of summer.” But I hope that you will also join me in giving some thought and feeling some gratitude for those who have sacrificed everything so that we can have that opportunity. We have differing political viewpoints and different experiences and we may agree or disagree with the people in political office at any given time. But men and women have given their lives so that we’re free to have and to express these opinions. I encourage you to express those opinions and to listen respectfully to those with whom you disagree but, most of all, to be grateful for those who died to protect our freedom to do so. My thoughts and prayers and my eternal gratitude this weekend will be with those heroes and their families.