“Thank You for Your Service” These 5 words are great, but don’t even come close to expressing the enormous debt we owe the brave men and women in our Armed Forces. There aren’t enough words to thank them in a single story, or a complete novel as far as that goes. But I want to give you a few thoughts and opinions about this topic.
We are at a time in our country where the divide between political ideologies seems to be getting wider. But if you look back through history, this divide has always been there. I think it seems worse now, because of social media. The majority of the political posts I’ve seen are quite divisive. But we are lucky we live in a country where we are free to express our views and opinions. The brave men and women of the military provide us that freedom.
There has always been a religious debate in this country. And while 85% of the country identifies with one form of religion, the other 15% does not identify with any religion, or they are atheist or agnostic. Aren’t we fortunate to live in a country where we can practice, or not practice the religion of our choice? The brave men and women of the military provide us that freedom as well.
I have tremendous respect for the Armed Forces, and the freedoms they provide us. I know most of that came from my Dad and his service in World War II. He was a POW for 3 ½ years and his example of strength and courage helped me appreciate how fortunate I am. But I admit there are time I have taken these freedoms and opportunities for granted. But, regardless of supporting them daily, or taking them for granted, I still feel safe and protected. The brave men and women of our military provide all of us that.
One of the things I enjoyed most this year was watching a montage ESPN put together of military men and women coming home and surprising their families. It was fun to see the surprised looks on their faces. It was heart-warming to watch as the family members ran up and gave them great big hugs. As I watched the outpouring of overwhelming love, and the tears of joy on their faces, it caused me to tear up a little as well. What a great feeling that must be for them.
I want to thank all the veterans of this country for their service and sacrifice for our country. Thank you for the freedoms I enjoy every day. I know my Angel Shannon is grateful as well. I will always LOVE AND MISS YOU sweetheart.
Next week: Happy Thanksgiving 2017
P.S. Calling someone stupid and less than human on social media hasn’t seem to have converted them to someone else’s way of thinking. What a shocker!