By: Sheldon Cuffie
There’s a principle I’ve come to live by, rooted in the African philosophy of ubuntu: I am, because we are. It reminds me that none of us walks our path alone. The freedoms we enjoy, the lives we lead, and the legacies we hope to leave behind are made possible by those who came before us and those who gave everything in service to something greater than themselves.
On Memorial Day, we pause to honor the men and women who never made it home. They didn’t get the chance to grow old, raise families, or watch the seasons change. They gave their lives so we could live ours with freedom and possibility. Their sacrifice is something we can never repay, but we can carry it with humility and gratitude.
Ubuntu teaches us that we are all connected. Our lives are shaped by those around us, and even by those we may never meet. The courage and commitment of fallen service members made it possible for us to live, learn, and lead today. We honor them not only in words or ceremony, but in the way we show up for others and the choices we make every day.
The military teaches many things including discipline, duty, and resilience. But one of the most powerful lessons is that we belong to something bigger than ourselves. Every mission, every moment of service, is about the people beside you. Leadership is often found in small acts of care, not just in titles or decisions. Some gave everything in those moments, and Memorial Day reminds us to never forget them.
So this Memorial Day, I honor those who stood in harm’s way for the sake of people they would never meet. Their names may not be known to all of us, but their impact lives on. So if I can borrow from that earlier phrase—I am, because they were.
We carry their legacy forward each time we choose service over self, courage over comfort, and unity over division. That is how we remember them. Not just today, but in how we live every day.
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