By Emily Umbdenstock
This nation will remain the land of the free only so long as it is the home of the brave.
-Elmer Davis
Memorial Day: an American holiday, observed on the last Monday of May, honoring the brave men and women who have lost their lives while serving our country. I am so thankful for our military heroes, and I never allow the day to pass without taking a moment of silent reflection to show my respect for the fallen while using it as an educational opportunity to remind my three children of the importance of preserving our democracy and being grateful for those who have died in order to do so.
Although officially a somber occasion, Memorial Day, originally known as Decoration Day, is also a happy one; a fun three-day weekend of celebration, packed from beginning to end with enjoyable activities and annual traditions. Like many others, I always think of this weekend as the unofficial kickoff to summer. And to this day, it always makes me laugh that we celebrate the start of summer with a holiday weekend that often isn’t warm enough for summer activities. I remember plenty of Memorial Days spent at the pool or on the beach in suboptimal conditions, willing myself to wade into the water simply because I finally could. I laugh thinking about previous years in which my kiddos lined up on the edge of the pool, literally shivering, as they waited to inaugurate the season with the annual “Big Splash” …it’s rather amazing how children seem magically immune to the cold when the situation calls for it…oh to be young again!
And while the chances that the weather actually cooperates with our outdoor plans is about 50/50 on any given year, this year it looks like we’re expecting mostly sunny skies and temperatures in the 70s…hallelujah! This being our first Memorial Day weekend as New Canaanites, I am even more excited than usual for the next three days ahead and am fortunate that it is this weekend in which our local summer membership officially goes into effect. However, being a newbie, I’ve found myself doing what newbies often do; making rather embarrassing mistakes that I’m sure I will look back on one day and eventually laugh about…and Memorial Day is clearly no exception.
While summer memberships are a wonderful option, they come with a number of restrictions that distinguish the seasonal members from the actual ones. When we received our big packet in the mail, it included a list of events we were allowed to participate in followed by an even longer list of restrictions. And despite multiple emails reminding me of the activities that we actually are invited to, I (surprise, surprise) became over-enthused as usual. You see, in the frenzy of my summertime excitement, I neglected to realize that, although only summer members, we, in fact, receive event emails for ALL club happenings. So, when I opened the invitation for Family Fun Night all of my common sense flew right out the window; the allure of a DJ and dancing by the pool far too enticing. Obviously, I signed up immediately: 2 adults and 3 children please! Gosh, was I on top of it! I even texted my fellow summer member friends to tell them I was going and to remind them to sign up as well. And that’s when they broke the sad news…as the guidelines clearly state, we are not allowed to access most poolside events until August, and, therefore, the night o’fun does not, in fact, include us. OMG, how embarrassing…summer hasn’t even started yet and I’m already confusing the rules!
I frantically tried to correct my mistake by logging into the website, but, of course, forever technically challenged, I couldn’t figure out how, exactly, to cancel my reservation. So, I swallowed my pride and called the front office to explain my mistake. While a part of me was expecting to be chastised, the woman on the other end of the line could not have been lovelier or more gracious, assuring me that this kind of thing “happens all the time” (although I’m pretty certain it does not). No, instead, I hung up feeling relieved rather than mortified and was more excited than ever for the activities ahead that I will be able to attend. So, many thanks to the kind and reassuring mystery voice who made our name magically disappear off of the RSVP list…you may just have saved summer! After all, we may not have it all together, but together we most certainly have it all!
Emily Umbdenstock received her BA in from Georgetown and her MA in Health and Behavior Studies from Columbia University Teachers College. When she isn’t “momming” her three children, she works as a freelance copy editor and an essay editor for college applications. A New Jersey native, Emily relocated to New Canaan in June.
