Thinking about Veterans

I got up this morning thinking about Veterans Day and what it means to all of us. At first, my focus was on my dad and his service during World War II. I thought about how close he came to losing his life along with the rest of his unit, and how he survived because he came down with hepatitis and had to be moved to a hospital, which put him out of harm's way during the battle that killed everyone he'd been serving with. To his dying day, my dad professed a very deep fondness for that disease.

It didn't take long for my thoughts to move on to my son-in-law, who has been sent to the desert several times already and who will be going back again way too soon. Two of his brothers are also serving in the military, and at any given time during any given year, one of them is serving overseas and in harm's way. My daughter really clarified my thinking when she posted about her mother-in-law, and how difficult it is for her to have a son in danger all the time -- and now that they're grown, with families of their own, they don't come home to her anymore so she's never sure when she'll actually see them again.


Which made me start thinking of all those people who have sacrificed along with the veterans who have fought to preserve our freedoms.

Thank you to all the veterans who have fought for our freedom, and thank you to the families of the veterans who have sacrificed more than most of us can ever understand.


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from the blog On My Mind Today