DEAR READERS: A few years ago I was with family and friends at an American Legion-sponsored Memorial Day commemoration.

The guest speaker was a much-decorated member of the U.S. military, a man who had known first-hand the horrors of war.

In his speech he expressed anger and frustration with those who see Memorial Day merely as the launch of summer and not the somber occasion it was designed to be. He urged everyone present to recall and honor the ultimate sacrifices made by service men and women and those they left behind.

The follow-up conversation held by my group was that it was a harsh message, judging his audience to be frivolous and callous. Admittedly, it stung a bit.

Since that broiling May afternoon, I’ve come to better appreciate what the speaker was saying, and to agree with much of it.

While it’s natural to want to celebrate the start of the season associated with more relaxed family time, vacations, and outdoor fun, this is a particularly challenging day for those who grieve the loss of fellow-service members and loved ones.

On this day, please take a moment to remember those who didn’t make it home, and those who returned with damage to their bodies and minds severe enough to cause them to take their own lives. They too gave their all in our service.

Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "Those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them."

May we never forget or fail to appreciate the lasting legacy of the sacrifices of our lost service members and those who held them dear.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My grandmother was a teacher. Both my parents are retired teachers. One of my sisters and a sister-in-law are teachers. Obviously, it runs in the family, so no surprise I’m a teacher.

I have been at it for nearly ten years now and I am beyond burned-out. Half the time has been spent in special ed, most recently working in a school for children with severe disabilities.

For as much as I have loved teaching, I honestly can’t do it anymore. It’s long hours (yes, teachers work more than six hours a day, and only ten months a year!). It’s physically, mentally, and emotionally demanding. Worst of all, by the time I get home I feel like I have so little to give to my own kids.

It’s all been too much for too long and I have decided to leave the profession at the end of this school year.

Right now, only my husband, coworkers, and a very few close friends know about my decision. I haven’t gotten up the nerve to tell my parents and the rest of the teachers in the family. I feel they’ll think I’m making a mistake, and beyond a doubt, I know they’ll be disappointed in me, and that will be so hard.

I know I have to tell them, and I will. But do you think I should tell them now, or wait until the summer when we normally start comparing notes on what’s coming up in the new school year? --- WHEN TO BREAK IT TO THEM

DEAR WHEN TO BREAK IT TO THEM: I applaud you for having done a tough job for as long as you have. Teaching is a challenging and demanding profession, and it’s more than understandable that it can lead to burn-out.

Unless you have a compelling reason for holding off on breaking the news of your decision to your parents beyond not wanting to disappoint them, I think the sooner you get the revelation over with the better. Holding onto your secret is likely adding to the load of stress you’re already managing.

While they may be disappointed at first, I’m hoping your parents and other family teachers will not only respect your decision, but in time, be happy for all your new adventures.

DEAR SOMEONE ELSE’S MOM: My husband has stayed close to a few of the guys he made friends with when he was in the Air Force. They’re great guys, but there is one who is a frequent visitor to our home who has the loudest snore I have ever heard. I remember my grandfather’s super loud snoring, and it was nothing to the sounds that come out of our guest’s room.

How do we handle this issue without offending a good friend when he comes to visit? --- NEED SOME QUIET

DEAR NEED SOME QUIET: Some types of snoring can be a sign of a medical problem, such as nasal blockages or apnea. For that reason, I think that as a good friend your husband ought to consider tactfully raising the topic of your guest’s snoring the next time he comes to visit. It’s possible he has nothing serious going on, but if he hasn’t been checked out, it might be well worth a visit to his doctor.

Whether you choose to raise the issue of his snoring with your husband’s friend or not, for your own sleep’s sake, you could look into noise-cancelling or moderating devices like earplugs or white noise machines to mask the nocturnal concerts next door.