Every year when Memorial Day comes around, I do the same thing most people do — I spend time with family, fire something up on the grill, and try to actually rest for a day.
But somewhere in there, I stop and think about why we actually have this day.
It's Not a Sales Holiday
I want to be upfront about something: Memorial Day isn't a garage door holiday. It's not a home improvement day. It's not a reason to run a promotion.
It's a day set aside specifically to remember the men and women who died in military service to this country. That's it. I don't have a clever way to tie that to what I do for a living, and I'm not going to try.
What I Actually Think About
What I think about on Memorial Day is the freedom underneath everything I get to do.
I get to run my own business. Answer my own phone. Show up in my own truck, do the work myself, and shake hands with a homeowner who trusted me with their home. I get to build a reputation in Kansas City one job at a time, and go home to my family at the end of the day.
That freedom — to build something, to work for yourself, to serve your community on your own terms — didn't just happen. It was bought and paid for by people who gave everything.
There are military families all over the KC metro. Fort Leavenworth is just up the road. The Guard and Reserve have deep roots here. A lot of the homeowners I work with have served, or have spouses or parents who have. I don't take that lightly.
What Memorial Day Actually Is
Memorial Day is specifically for those who died in service — not veterans broadly (that's Veterans Day in November), but the ones who didn't come home.
Gold Star families carry that loss every day. They don't get a day where it goes away. Memorial Day is the one day a year the rest of us pause and acknowledge what that kind of sacrifice actually costs.
If you've lost someone in military service, I hope today brings you some peace — and some acknowledgment from the people around you.
We'll Be Here If You Need Us
If your garage door breaks on a holiday weekend, we're available. That's part of the job and I don't mind it.
But today, that's almost beside the point.
Today is for something that matters more than garage doors.
Thank you to every family who gave someone to this country. It isn't forgotten.
— Zach Wallace
Owner, American Standard Garage Door
Kansas City, MO