There's no reason why honoring those who have given their lives for our country should be limited to one day a year.

In fact, perhaps we do the concept a disservice by relegating it to a holiday.

That being said, it is a glorious sight to visit a cemetery on Memorial Day. There's something poetic about seeing a bevy of flags waving in the breeze.

Memorial Day, like most holidays, has evolved over time. It originally was a day set aside to honor those who died in the Civil War. Since then, it has expanded to honor all those who have fallen in the service of our country.

And many people make it a point to decorate the graves of their loved ones on Memorial Day, even if they weren't in the military.

It's really become a day of remembrance for all who have died. Those who regularly visit a cemetery or grieve over the death of a loved one -- military or otherwise -- understand this truth: There are 364 just like it.

Not one day goes by that a grieving widow doesn't long to hear her husband's voice, or that a child, of any age, doesn't think about Mom or Dad. Not one day goes by that parents don't remember their deceased child.

Especially when the loss still is fresh.

Of course, with time the initial numbness fades. With enough time, perhaps even the memories fade.

Our gratitude should never waver, however. Just as those who mourn the loss of a loved one grieve every day, those who enjoy the gift of freedom should celebrate it every day.

On Memorial Day, some will visit the cemetery. Some will gather with friends and family for a barbecue. Perhaps those events don't happen on every other day of the year, but the feeling of gratitude can and should stay with us, grilled burgers or not.

So what does that celebration of our freedom look like? To each it will be different.

Some will fly a U.S. flag year round. Some will thank a veteran. Some will pick up the check for someone in uniform spotted in a restaurant. Some will vote. Some will pray. Some will protest.

All of these are your rights as Americans. Don't forget to use them.

A muscle unused will atrophy. A memory unrecalled grows dim. Freedoms not exercised will be taken for granted and, perhaps, eventually lost.

The Civil War has been over for 145 years. No living soul was part of it. One American veteran of World War I is with us still. The number of Americans who have died in battle passes the 1 million mark.

And that number grows nearly every day in Afghanistan and Iraq, where U.S. forces fight today.

The more removed we are from these deaths, the more casual we become with their sacrifice. For the mothers, fathers, sons and daughters of these heroes, grief is a constant companion. They deserve our gratitude too.

There are varied and individual ways to express gratitude. There are equally as many ways to exercise your freedom. Today, and for the tomorrows to come, let's do both.