11 11 11 Veterans Day

11 11 11  Veterans Day

Well here it is again, Veterans Day. I never really paid much attention to this holiday when I was younger. I guess I had my head stuck up there where the sun hardly ever gets to. I should be ashamed of myself, but I just never paid it no mind.

I have talked about taking things for granted, and  selfishly living my life as though I deserved all of the freedoms that I had. I lived each day with no intensions of thanking anyone for being able to walk freely about, thinking exactly what I wanted, and saying whatever came across my mind at any given drop of a hat.

Selfishly, I have gone through my younger years, enjoying all of the luxuries that this country represents, and furnishes. These trinkets of tranquility that this country represents have been furnished by the countless souls of old who unselfishly sacrificed everything thay had, in order to hand down the same streets of freedom they themselves had been able to walk down.

I listened to the TV this morning, as the color guard ran through the rituals of honor at the designated areas for the ceremonies for the fallen. I couldn’t help but get all choked up, as I listened to the precision of the footsteps, and the calling out of the orders, as the ceremony came to pass. I have been flooded with these same feelings over these past few years, whenever I am able to witness selfless sacrifice for the love of freedom and liberty. Two things that before the last several years, I had no real concept of what they really, truly meant.

As I imagine the faces of the men and women who were taking part in the ceremonies this morning, I was flooded with faces and expressions and love and faith and family. I could see the little daughters hugging their fathers as they left for duty. I could see those same young daughters hugging their moms, as they returned home from twelve months of duty. I could see the faces of the young children , and the parents, and grandparents, and husbands and wives as their fathers and mothers and sisters and brothers and nephews and nieces finally made it home from duty. I could hear the cries of happiness, and see their tears of joy as once again, the family became whole.

No one in my immediate family ever served in the military. I have many relatives that have, and are still. Although I have never known what it is really like to have someone in my immediate family go to, or come home from service, or action, I still get emotional when I see or hear others who go through this.

My pride swells, and I feel a sense of country that I get nowhere else.

I do have some very strong political views and feelings about all of this. I will spare this post from any of that. This post I will save for thanks, and gratefulness, and hopeful wishes for the families, that they will become whole again one day. I pray that the loved ones who serve will be protected by the hand of God, and provided with a safe road back into the arms of their loving families.

Such a selfless sacrifice can never be wasted, no matter how hard the struggle, no matter how high the obstacle. The sacrifice must forever be remembered, as we live and breathe every single day under the sun. We must always give thanks, and remember what we are up against if our ability to live free is lost or taken from us.

The founding fathers saw something special in this land of ours. They saw something in the eyes of every person who walked the road towards freedom. They knew the fragile nature of the liberties, and the freedoms. They craved it for themselves, as they strived to make it happen for all.

This country, and it’s beliefs, are the best thing to happen to this world of ours since, well, since, forever!

In Loving Honor of the Fallen:

Flanders Field

In Flander’s Field, the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row

That mark our place, and in the sky

The lark, still bravely singing, flies

Scarce heard, amidst the battle of the guns below

We are the dead. Few days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow

Loved, and were loved

And now we lie in Flanders Field

To all the men and women who have served, are serving, and will serve, Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

May God Bless You All And Keep You Safe