Veteran’s Day 2017: Honoring Those Who Serve

Ed Schipul/Flickr Creative Commons

I’m going to be honest, I’ve thought about my Veteran’s Day 2017 post for a few days now, which is highly unusual for me in regards to those who dedicate their lives to protecting ours. If you know me even a little, you know that my blood flows red, white and blue. I’ve written my tribute to veterans for years on my blog and this is the first time I gave this much consideration to how I present it.

…and that’s where it ended.

I decided that I would not let the turmoil of the current political climate dictate what I write, or how I choose to write it. I cannot ignore the derisiveness that has beset our country and in particular, our nation’s standard. Our veterans deserve more than we could ever give them. How do you actually repay someone who has pledged to lay down their life defending the way you chose to live yours? How do you thank a wife, or husband whom a veteran has left taking care of home for 2, or more years while they dedicated themselves to the country? How do you give back to their children all of the time they’ve spent in service so your children wouldn’t have to know what it is like to be without you?

Honor those who serve. Don’t besmirch their sacrifices to legitimize yours. That flag is symbol of American progress and sacrifice. Those two ideas are not mutually exclusive; you cannot have one without the other. Good men and women have died defending what it represents and that is the simple notion that everyone is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

So, yes, I did  think more about writing this year’s veteran’s day tribute blog than I have in the past. Not because I didn’t want to offend anyone who may have a different opinion about the greatness of this amazing country, but because I had much more to say about honoring America’s veterans than I could ever get down on paper.

I want to say thank you to my son who has served 18 years in the Air Force, friends and family members who have served our country and a special thank you to my late husband, father, grandfather and all of those who fought and served proudly. God Bless America!