The last Monday in May is Memorial Day. Many of us will enjoy a long weekend.

Sometimes people thank me for my service on Memorial Day, which is very thoughtful. However, Memorial Day differs from Veterans’ Day in that it’s a day to remember service members who died in the line of duty.

The Pounce Pick of the Week below helped me remember that Memorial Day truly is much more than an excuse to go shopping.

Enjoy your holiday weekend while keeping the people who lost their lives defending us in your heart. We’ll also thank our veterans in November.

First time reading? Yay! Welcome! Catch up on past issues here.

If you’ve been following the Weekly Pounce or the Pounce Pot Post for a few weeks, you’re getting the point that boosting your brain with new knowledge and skills is an important protocol for keeping your mind sharp and healthy. 

I invite you to explore the history of Memorial Day for this week’s mental challenge.

Here are some links to get you started on your knowledge journey.
Read this Wiki article, or this one (and watch a concert) from PBS, or take a look at this summary from the National Archives. 

Is there a Memorial Day parade scheduled near you? If so, you could gather a group of friends and attend together. Perhaps place a flag or flowers on a memorial monument in your town.

Maybe next year you can gather a group to volunteer. The Memorial Day Flowers Foundation created by my Naval Academy classmate, Jeff Sheedy, provides over 350,000 flower tributes for our interred veterans on Memorial Day. The Foundation needs help distributing flowers to 100 national cemeteries each year.
Read more 💐

Making smart decisions daily is a vital part of your hidden powers.

My Caymanian friend, Robyn, suggested that the Pounce Pot should categorize logic and common sense into a “Don’t be a Dumb A**” list. Intelligent lifespan-lengthening decisions like wearing a seat belt, not smoking or vaping, and not drinking and driving.

I’ll be explaining more in the Pounce Pot Post. I’d love to hear your suggestions for what you’d like to see included on the Very Super Official DBDA List. Hit reply and email me your ideas.

Personally, I won’t be rock climbing anytime soon. My DBDA list is long, but as a fair-skinned redhead, I’m also concerned with avoiding skin cancer by not getting sunburnt this summer.  

Today is National Don’t Fry Day. The National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention tagged it for the Friday before Memorial Day to increase educational awareness regarding the dangers of sun overexposure.

This week, check that your sunscreen didn’t expire 8 years ago. Go get yourself a fresh, new bottle from this list of less toxic brands and use it daily. Yes, I know we need some sun exposure to make vitamin D and to keep our circadian rhythm in check. We’ll talk more about that soon, too. 

This plant-forward food blog lists 51 Easy Picnic Food Ideas. It’s a nice list filled with quick, healthy recipes. 

Could you find an hour or two (or three) this weekend to enjoy a Memorial Day picnic with a group of neighbors? Perhaps just take a small picnic outside on your deck with one or two buddies to enjoy some fresh air and green space together.

You might be surprised how beneficial being in nature (and with friends) is for your wellbeing.

I’m lucky enough to live near a beach, so I’ve promised myself I’ll go for a meditative, silent walk on the sand this week. It’s a private gesture to remember and mentally honor our fallen heroes.

Join me in a silent walk on a beach, through a forest path, or around your neighborhood. Find a labyrinth, like this one, and mindfully navigate the path a few times. Take a bike ride or a jog without headphones. Even a 15-minute session with an indoor peddler can be taken with intention.

Staying active doesn’t always mean going full-speed ahead. Sometimes it can help guide us through a quiet moment of reflection.

What could you do to stay active, but in a slower, more thoughtful way this week?