Armed Forces Day

Today is Armed Forces Day - so, what better time to thank all of our men and women who serve our country, and us. Your bravery, your sacrifices, your passion, and your patriotism can’t possibly be described.  Not by a mere mortal, and since I’m the merest of mortals, I’m failing before I even begin.

My husband served in the Army as well as in the Air Force.  I know what his country meant to him then and I know what it means to him now.  I see it in his eyes every time he sees the flag blowing in the free wind, every time our beautiful national anthem is sung, and every time he sees a man or woman in uniform  They’re all symbols for what makes our nation so strong and so incredibly special.

I can only partly understand what a man, woman, boy or girl gives up when they join the armed forces.  I remember moving away from my own family and home with my husband when he enlisted.  The holidays and birthdays away from family is agonizing.  But we had one another, followed by three beautiful little girls. 

I can’t even begin to imagine what a young person goes through when they enter the armed forces.  Alone and miles upon miles away from home?  I couldn’t have done it when I was 19, or 20, or 25, or - oh, heck, I could have never done it.  I’m not strong or courageous enough - nowhere near it.  Thanks be to God that there are a select few who excel where I fail.

I just want to take this opportunity to tell all of our men and women in the armed forces and its reserves that you are very, very, very, very special people and we ALL owe a debt to you that we could never repay.

To those of you with servicemen and women in your own life, I hope you don’t let a day go by without telling them how proud you are of them.  I also want you to know that I respect you and the sacrifices you make.  There is no “Family of the Armed Forces” day, so I’ll just tell you now - you’re special, too!

For the rest of us?  We should keep all of the men and women of the military, and their families (who know a thing or two about sacrifice, themselves) in our prayers, in our minds, and in our hearts. 

After September 11th, we all flew our American flags in unity, pride, and support.  We were right to do so!  Our only mistake was taking them down.  They should have stayed out for the world to see that, not only are we Americans….we’re proud to wear the title. 

With love, gratitude and support from my family to yours!

Joi