Memorial Day 2020 may be celebrated differently than in years past.

We should celebrate our freedoms, celebrate the men and women who have died for these freedoms and celebrate those who continue to serve to protect and honor our freedoms. This year we all have the time to genuinely think about what Memorial Day is, why we celebrate, and who we honor. It is a day, as John F. Kennedy said, to “express our gratitude, but we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

Over the last two months, many New Yorkers have been living by them. They have become front-line workers to help stop the spread and combat the COVID-19 virus. They have donated food and delivered meals to our senior citizens and most vulnerable. They have worked as caregivers, cleaners, mechanics, teachers, cooks, shoppers, tellers, cashiers, drivers, builders, food suppliers, and helpers in any number of ways — professionally and personally. They have come together as a community in ways that none of us ever imagined — to help support families, friends and neighbors in a time of national emergency.

God bless New York and God bless America!

Assemblyman Joseph Giglio represents the 148th District, which consists of Cattaraugus County.