Our Take: Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! I am not sure that you can say “happy” when referring to a somber holiday, but, from a purely secular perspective, the weekend is one of the few significant holidays since New Year’s, so a celebration is not out of the question. Memorial Day Weekend often signals the beginning of summer activities and is a nice three-day respite from work, school, or other commitments. The weekend is known for family gatherings, the opening of pools, the first barbecue and warmer weather. Hard not to be “happy” under those circumstances.

Yet the holiday was created as a day of remembrance for those men and women who lost their lives defending our country. Few sights are as compelling as that of a military cemetery. Rows and rows of meticulously planted headstones. Manicured lawns between the graves. The quietest silence prevailing over acres and acres. My father-in-law is buried at a military cemetery in St. Louis. My wife and I will visit him sometime this weekend.

A longtime guest on The Jazz Cruise died this week. He was 83, sailed with us 11 times, had a successful business, was married for 60 years and had three children and eight grandchildren. I imagine that if that life were offered to the public at large, 98% of us would sign up. Once you accept the finite nature of life, assessing whether a life was well lived becomes easier to do. What remains difficult is the knowledge that you will never see that person or hear their voice again.

Which is why, despite the military service nature of Memorial Day, this weekend is an appropriate time to remember all the heroes in your life. A few of us at Signature Cruise Experiences (SCE) gathered recently to remember people we have known through the cruises since 2001 who are no longer with us. Yes, we talked at great length about musicians. Stories about David Sanborn, Wayman Tisdale, Jeff Clayton, George Duke, Al Jarreau and others were shared by the group. The remembrances followed a pattern. First, we would acknowledge their musical prowess. Then someone would remember a funny story or tidbit about their participation on the cruises. Finally, we would share personal thoughts about them as people. 

We created a name for this analysis, TLC. SCE operates with a plethora of acronyms. For those who have sailed with us before, you may be familiar with our SAFE program for seating in the Main Theater and for embarking/disembarking the ship. Most assume that SAFE is our nod to safety. Actually, SAFE is an acronym for Special Access For Entry. Surely no one feels smarter knowing that bit of trivia.

Back to TLC. Have you had enough time to decode that acronym? “T” is for Talent. “L” is for Laughter. “C” is for Character. Think about it. In many respects, this is what we try to do with our cruise programs. We assemble the best Talent that we can muster. We have fun doing it and try to make it fun for everyone. And we try hard to live up to the standards you demand and deserve. That is what I meant by “Character.” Granted, there are other uses of the term. Feel free to do so.

Our Memorial Day remembrance conversation quickly turned to guests who are no longer with us. The death of the friend we described above was the trigger. Each of us could name 3 – 5 of their favorite guests from the past. The stories were amazing. We talked about one of our favorite ladies who set her stateroom on fire by kicking a lit candle while doing yoga. Then, there was the man who insisted upon having his stateroom on the “sunny side of the ship.” An entire hour was spent on competing stories about guests who have tried to game the seating procedures.

The meeting ended with each of us naming the guest we missed the most and why. Not a dry eye among us. Signature Cruise Experiences’ guests are the best. After more than 25 years and nearly 100 cruises, my most vivid memories of the cruises are the times I spent with guests. During that time, I have seen them grow older, heard about their children getting married and watched them make friends with other returning guests. Some of those friendships have endured for years and years.

We urge you to take some time this Memorial Day Weekend remembering those who gave their lives for our country. But, take some additional time to celebrate the lives of those who have been part of our cruise community and family. They may not have protected our freedom, but they definitely enriched our lives.

By Michael Lazaroff, Executive Director of The Jazz Cruise, The Smooth Jazz Cruise, Chris Botti at Sea, Christian McBride’s World at Sea, Journey of Jazz, David Foster: The Hitman Cruise and Top Shelf Country Cruise. Feel free to express your views or pose questions to him at michael@scecruises.com.

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Pittsburgh Jazz Festival

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Monterey Jazz Festival

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David Foster: The Hitman Cruise	Open Booking Begins May 30
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