"Mr. Frank? Happy Memorial Day."

(The title is a quote from a musical. Points if you know which one!)

Unfortunately, I didn't get to do much for Memorial Day - I spent the very early morning hours throwing up and most of the day nibbling on saltine crackers and napping. But I have been thinking about some of the people who have passed away and whose graves I would like to visit today, if I could.

My Grandma Bushman was my father's grandmother, and she passed away when I was 13, I think. It was the first funeral I ever went to for someone I knew and was close to. She was over 90 years old when she passed away, and though it was sad to have her gone, I loved how much I got to know about her from the stories told at the funeral. When I think of her, I think of the Washington D.C. temple where she worked for a long time and of her fearlessly driving down the freeway at 70 mph when she could hardly see over the steering wheel.

My cousin Ian passed away when I was 16. He was only 13 and had lived with a heart/lungs condition all his life. It was not necessarily unexpected, but it was very sudden. When I think of Ian, I remember how he idolized Batman and how he loved to dress up as Batman with his oxygen tank in tow.

Grandpa Ed, my father's father, passed away during my first year of college. He had Parkinson's disease, and it was very hard to say goodbye. My sister and cousin and I got to sing "Homeward Bound" at the graveside service, and it has been a very special song ever since. I have so many memories of Grandpa Ed, of his paintings and his humor, trips to Monterey for his artist workshops, finding treats in his "magic cupboard," watching Santa's workshop in the snow. He always encouraged our talents, whether musical, artistic, or writing. It seems strange to me that Tim never met my Grandpa Ed, and I am so glad that we have some of his prints in our house.

Syd was my high school drama teacher, and she passed away very unexpectedly a year after I graduated from Orem High. It was so devastating to lose her -- she taught me everything I know about theater. She was able to extract from crazy high school students the most beautiful performances. She stretched us to be better in every rehearsal, and she cared about all of us. I count myself extremely lucky to have worked with her and learned from her for as long as I did.

I've written about Nigel before, but I especially remember him on Memorial Day. My tall, lanky cousin who was brave and honorable and absolutely dedicated to his dream of becoming a U.S. Marine. I am so proud of him, but I wish he was here so we could be proud of him in a different way.

I loved all of these people, and as I've been thinking about them today, the things I remember best are their passions -- for family history work, for Batman, for beauty and creativity, for theater and stories, for freedom. I hope that I can be remembered for the things I'm passionate about, and I hope I take away more than just memories from my time spent with them. I think in many ways that's what Memorial Day is about -- not only remembering those who have passed away, but recognizing how they touched our lives for good.