…To Remember
My Mother was great at taking our family out to the cemetery each Memorial Day. She would give us a tour of the grounds and tell us stories about the men and women who have served the United States of America. Bravely. Gallantly.
While we all have head knowledge about the casualties of our military, but there is something that comes to life in the stories of these men and women.
…To Honor
Here’s a story that is near and dear to my heart. Meet my son, Bill. In 1989, he announced to me that he had joined the Navy. A week later he was in boot camp.
It was a decision that I didn’t understand. But Bill had a calling to serve. Each moment, he lives by the Navy values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. He adds Integrity.
Forward 21+ years. Today he is stationed in Japan. He serves on the USS Shiloh as an officer. He is forward deployed which mean he is out to sea much of the time—and at a moment’s notice.
Bill is a single father of two children—Alex and Katie. He’s a gem of a man and great dad.
This is one story of one man who willingly serves for the sake of freedom—for you and for me.
…To Be Grateful
Agree or not, we have our service members all over the world. We owe them a debt of gratitude.
I am grateful because Freedom is not free.
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Thanks for your inspiring thoughts on Memorial Day. Although I don’t have a son or daughter serving right now, I connect to all women who have loved ones serving and I actively hold vigil with you Lee and other mothers who live with the wild ride of having a child serving either stateside or in far off lands. My heart reaches out to your mother’s heart on this day.