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Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember those men and women that gave the ultimate for this great country. For each of us, our family and friends, they gave all for us to live as we choose. Its also a day, now, that we can also thank the living Vets and the men and women serving still, to preserve our wonderful country and our ways of life. Its also a time, in which we should never forget, the mothers, father’s, sisters brothers,grandparents, aunts, uncles, other relatives, and friends, whom each have sacrificed the ultimate, also. We so many times forget the families and what they have sacrificed for this great country and each of us.
One of my biggest regrets as a young person, is that I didn’t realize how much each person in uniform and each of their families gave for me. I guess when you are young, you have “more” to think about than that, and take for granted even more. I wish I could have hugged each one of them. I wish I could hug each family member and just say I love you and thanks.
Now I am older, much older. It got here so quickly. But, as the saying goes, with age comes wisdom. Unlike I was taught, Freedom isn’t free. But as I was taught, you respect men and women in uniform as I was taught to respect “my elders”. So I so wish I could say thanks to all, each and everyone, that gave all, that served to protect and defend, that allowed me to have this great country to live in. So that my nieces and nephews and their kids can have a country such as ours to live in. There are few of our Vets left from the early wars, and getting to be fewer of the Vietnam conflict ( a war to me, none the less). So I try to say thanks to everyone I see in the uniform of this great nation’s military. If I know someone with a loved one serving my/our country, I do my best never to forget to say thanks for each and every one of their sacrifices. If I find someone with a loved one no longer with us, who served, I thank them from the bottom of my heart.
Please, parents, teach your kids, no matter how you believe or what you believe, to just say “Thanks”. ‘Cause, frankly, without these brave men and women over all these years of our great country, there probably wouldn’t be a me or you. Life would not be as we know it. It may not always be like we wish it were, but we have a place, a country, to live that I happen to feel no other holds a candle to. “United We Stand, Divided We Fall”. That does not say we all have to agree with each other, but agree to disagree, and support each others right to be different or feel differently. But disagree with kindness, not hate…
So with all the love and admiration in my heart, to every man and woman, serving, have served or served and no longer with us, to every member of each of their families and friends, Thank you, thank you, thank you, for all you do, all you have done and all you have given for me and “our” country…..
Karen J Baker
Kingston Springs
