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In the midst of the coronavirus, we’ve all felt pretty cooped on in our homes or work environments.

There isn’t a lot of relief to that cooped-up feeling, other than a few hours in the backyard or a trip to the lake.

Businesses are opening back up, but everyone we talk to is at least a little hesitant about getting back out there and shopping like normal. (Nor is that recommended right now.)

But now comes a three-day weekend, and we’re guessing many people have plans to get out in the yard, have a good time and relax a little bit.

Considering the state of the world, that makes plenty of sense. We hope that you’ll do whatever you choose to do safely.

But we also hope the vast majority of people don’t lose sight of why most of us are off work on Monday.

Memorial Day is a time to remember the men and women who gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving in the armed forces.

Typically, there is a large ceremony in LaGrange, honoring those soldiers who died to protect our freedoms. That won’t be happening this year.

Hogansville will still be holding some type of ceremony, though precautions are being taken to keep everyone safe.

Our freedoms haven’t been taken away during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it certainly feels like we have less of them than we did a few months ago. That’s just the reality of stores being closed and stay at home orders.

We’ll all be thankful when life returns to normal — a phrase we’ve probably written 1,000 times in this space.

Memorial Day is all about honoring the men and women who died protecting those freedoms.

We hope you’ll take time to reflect and remember why you’re off work, and remember the men and women who died to protect our way of life.