What we honor on Memorial Day is just as worthy of our memory today as it was yesterday.

You may have observed the holiday by spending time with family or friends, attending memorial services, placing flowers and flags on the grave of a loved one, or simply enjoying a day off work. But for everything you did yesterday — from barbecue to breathing — you can thank those who lost their lives defending your freedom to do so.

Evil exists in our world today just as it has from the dawn of time. Those who seek to oppress others, exploit the weak and pollute our world with hatred represent the darkest of humankind. And while we live in an era of relative peace, the threat of this evil is constant.

But greater than evil is the power of love — for family, for fellow man, for freedom. Those who serve in the United States military understand that sometimes, love means sacrifice. Many have paid that price in time and in blood. Many others have paid it with their lives.

For those who have made that ultimate sacrifice, we are thankful, and we honor their memory; today and always.