I have lived in a small town all my life except for the three years I was in seminary.  I love small towns and the sense of knowing the town and the people in it.  For the last 25 years I lived in Mogadore, Ohio – the only Mogadore in the United States. Mogadore is a great place to live and raise a family.  You can walk everywhere and it is harder to get in trouble when everyone knows you, knows your parents, and knows where you live!  But my favorite time to live in Mogadore has always been Memorial Day. On Memorial Day there is a small parade, consisting of the VFW, the fire

department, the police department, the High School band, the Scouts, and the little league teams.  The whole parade takes less than 15 minutes to go by but everyone in town comes to see it. Once the parade has passed, everyone joins in at the back of the parade and follows along to the town cemetery where there is a short memorial service, honoring those who gave their lives in service to the country.  The entire village, from the youngest to the oldest residents, gathers for the 21 gun salute, the playing of taps, and a moment of silence.

The parade begins at 10 and by 11 everyone has enjoyed the parade,

respectfully remembered, picked up a popsicle from the Mogadore UMC, and is heading home again.  It isn’t long, but it is important, and every year I thank God that I live in this small town where we remember Memorial Day in this way.