three day weekend

In light of this past weekend's event of the loss of my mother I wanted to offer a couple thoughts about today's holiday, Memorial Day.

Even though my mom wasn't a soldier who gave all she was the traveling, pregnant wife of an active soldier in the Vietnam War. I was born in an army hospital in Frankfurt, Germany and remained in Germany with her for two months until we both came home. After 40 years, I recognize now that my mom gave birth to me, her firstborn, and she wasn't surrounded by or visited by any friends or family for two months. There is some measure of sacrifice here and I'm including it in today's holiday festivities. If this is something I should've brought up this upcoming Veteran's Day, sue me. My next thought...

Freedom isn't free... somebody paid. And that somebody might've been your neighbor or your relative or a father of three or a mother of four or the Homecoming Queen or the high school track star or an NFL player or an inner city youth or a country bumpkin. Or it may have simply been your son, daughter, father or mother.

A simple definition of the word sacrifice is forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim. The strength to lead, give or take and then execute a fateful order where the outcome knowingly is not good is something I can't fathom. For whatever reasons that led them to their decisions to serve I am sure they didn't plan on dying but knew it was a possibilty. It's a shame there is only one day on the calendar for these brave people.

I hope you join me this week in honoring and thanking the fallen who provided or defended our liberties and paid the ultimate price for what we enjoy and mostly take for granted. These heroes sacrificed their own posterity so we can live on in freedom.