Memorial Day invites us into a different kind of pause.

Not simply a long weekend. Not merely the unofficial start of summer. But a moment of remembrance — honoring those who gave their lives in service to something larger than themselves.

From the perspective of Logotherapy, Viktor Frankl reminded us that meaning is often discovered through responsibility, sacrifice, love, and courage in the face of suffering. Memorial Day reflects all four.

We remember individuals who accepted profound responsibility, often at great personal cost. Their lives remind us that meaning is not found only in comfort or happiness, but also in commitment — in choosing values worth serving, even when the path is difficult.

Frankl wrote that human beings are capable of enduring almost any “how” if they have a meaningful “why.” Memorial Day asks us to reflect on the “whys” that shape our own lives:

What do we stand for?
Who do we serve?
What values are worth carrying forward?

For many people, mental health struggles can create a sense of disconnection, emptiness, or hopelessness. One antidote to that emptiness is remembrance itself — reconnecting with gratitude, purpose, community, and the recognition that our lives are part of a larger human story.

Today can be an opportunity not only to honor the fallen, but also to recommit ourselves to living meaningfully:

• expressing gratitude more openly,
• serving others more intentionally,
• and living in a way that reflects the sacrifices that came before us.

Meaning does not erase pain. But meaning can help us carry it with dignity.

This Memorial Day, may we remember well — and live purposefully.

— Dr. Dan