I have this old, black and white photograph of my mom and dad from their sweetheart days. It was 1943, and Dad is dressed in his Navy uniform, on leave from his post in the South Pacific. I've incorporated this photo into one of my scrapbook pages - a sort of "this is your life" page commemorating my parents. Filmstrip die-cuts run through the page, each cell containing a photo of their life together. When I look at this photo of my dad, I see a hero - a man who served his country with honor - and I am proud.

As we witnessed during the terrible day of September 11, there are heroes everywhere. The police officers, fire fighters, office workers and airplane passengers who valiantly lost their lives, in what can only be described as a 'war', are our heroes today. The New York Times gave us names and faces and stories that left us weeping for lives cut short. This Memorial Day gives us another opportunity to remember our present-day heroes and those who gave their lives fighting past battles.

Memorial Day is all about remembering, and our scrapbooks give us treasured visual reminders of life events. Many of us have struggled to find ways to preserve the memories of our country's recent tragic events for future generations. A number of scrapbook product manufacturers have come out with patriotic-themed products, which have greatly helped our efforts. I see Ellison's new "USA" die popping up in lots of pages, as well as wonderful sticker, paper and rubber stamp designs. The memories aren't likely to fade anytime soon - in our minds or in our pages.