Juneau Appreciation Day

Today was Juneau Appreciation Day - a day when the residents of Juneau are thanked for their support of the travel/tourism trade.  It was also the first Saturday in May and, traditionally, the "Blessing of the Fleet".  We woke to a rainy day, cloudy and cool.  However, we decided to drive downtown and and I was most looking forward to a discounted "tram" ride and possibly a free hot dog at DIPAC (the local salmon hatchery).  What I wasn't expecting was the emotions I felt during the ceremony.  In downtown Juneau, there is a small area on the waterfront that is home to the Alaska Commercial Fisherman's Memorial.  The Memorial was dedicated in 1991 and was built with dollars raised by the family and friends of those whose lives were lost in commercial fishing accidents in Alaska.  This year, five names were added to the granite memorial. Gov. Sean Parnell spoke, theJuneau Pipe Band played (I love a good bagpipe!), a young girl sang the Alaska state song, and a girl scout troop led the national anthem.  At an appointed time the commercial fishing vessel, the Kaia, dropped a flower wreath in the water. A number of commercial fishing vessels were in the water, and as the boats slowly passed by in front of the memorial, one by one, a local pastor mentioned each boat by name and intoned a blessing on the captain, crew and passengers.  Some in the crowd waved to the captains as the boats passed by, others dropped flowers in the water.  I watched a small family in front of me hug each other with sad faces and I wondered what their story was - did they lose a father or husband?  Or, were they part of the larger commercial fishing "family" that honors those that have passed?  As someone read all of the names that were inscribed on the walls of the memorial, the crowd was quiet - only the rain was noticeable.  I didn't stay after the ceremony - those that needed to be there should have the space to themselves.  I will return on another day to look at the names on the memorial and maybe on a sunny day, the emotions won't be as close to the surface.