Bright holiday may signal better days ahead

For many in the Cape Region, Memorial Day is often bittersweet.

After our traditionally rainy spring, we look forward to sunny walks on the beach and lush, local produce at farmers markets, stands and stores. Once Memorial Day arrives, can fresh local corn and tomatoes be far behind?

At the same time, Memorial Day brings three months of traffic and crowds; our usually quiet streets are filled with cars and our favorite happy hours become standing room only.  For the next three months, anyone who wants to buy an ice cream cone in Lewes or Rehoboth Beach might as well park at the edge of town and walk; the stroll will be far more enjoyable than a fruitless search for a parking spot.

This year, for once, sunshine was the order of the day, and almost unbelievably, gas prices dipped just as our visitors were filling up their cars for the trip to our Cape Region towns.

Beyond the barbecues, our towns took time to recall what Memorial Day is really about: solemn ceremonies in Lewes, Rehoboth and Georgetown honored all those who perished serving their nation.

Expanding the holiday to remember all veterans who have died, American Veterans Post 2 in Long Neck chose this weekend to honor David C. Dolby, who earned the nation’s highest military award for valor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, during the Vietnam War. Dolby was a life member of American Veterans Post 2 in Long Neck until his death last summer.

Memorial Day services seem to unite Americans to honor sacrifice and rededicate ourselves to our national ideals. That same spirit seemed to spill out on our Cape Region streets this weekend.

As our nation emerges from long-lingering tough economic times, families and friends flowed along our streets, beaches and Boardwalk, filling the air with energy and the optimism that defines most of us.

Perhaps it’s a sign that it’s time to leave the bitterness behind as we move forward toward a busy summer and the promise of sweeter, brighter times ahead.