There are typically 12 federal holidays per year in the U.S.A. How do you typically spend yours? Much of my life I spent one of the earliest federal holidays of the year reflecting on the life and contributions of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  There was always a march or a luncheon/dinner banquet or something commemorating the work of MLK in some way.

These activities are still plentiful, I just can’t tell you the last time I’ve been to one.

It’s not that I have a problem with the holiday, the purpose of the celebration or anything like that. What it is about is me being intentional about where I spend my time and whom I spend it with on these specially mandated holidays.

I am a Georgia girl. I’ve had the significance of MLK preached to me from the crib, please believe.

But I’m tired of banquets.

I’m tired of the repetitive nature of how we “honor” our heroes. 

What we were challenged to do, the torch that was handled to us by MLK and other CRM leaders was to press on toward the mark, to WORK. They did not ask that we throw banquets in honor of the memory of their work.

I choose to spend quality time with my family and friends on federal holidays. This is especially important for me living so far away from my loved ones.

On my 9 hour drive back from visiting family I took time to listen to some of MLK’s speeches and took inventory on how I am living my life and working towards helping uplift others, especially my people.

My dream is that one day we will all wake up and realize that life is not a dream…it isn’t one day of remembrance or service and then back to our regularly scheduled program. Life is truly what we make it every day with every decision we make. Honoring the sacrifices of people like MLK is a daily commitment, not an annual one.

Are you ready to push back from the banquet table and put in the work?

Marta C.Youngblood