Sacrifice and Service...

Only once in my life have I had to justify my husbands service, the military service of others and the holidays that honor them to a person. Unfortunately for me that person was a family member, unfortunately for them I can not and will not forgive them for the statements and comments they made.  Since that time I have sworn to make sure that not only do my children understand the selfless service and sacrifices military members make but also that they understand the importance of honoring and respecting that service.

So today we took the kids to the National Cemetary here in Sitka. It is small, but feels very intimate. We tasked the kids with finding a headstone that represented a veteran who had served in every conflict since WWI.  We waundered the cemetary, reviewing headstones, discussing military service.  We found a representative of every conflict except for Iraq/Afghanistan.  We found the only person within the cemetary to earn a Medal of Honor.  We found veterans from each branch of service too!

It was a beautiful day to honor those who have served, those who understand selfless sacrifice and those who participated in something bigger then themselves. It was an opportunity once again to reaffirm to the kids that veterans are special people, they deserve days of recognition and that we should be humbled to walk amongst them.

                                        

The Gettysburg Address

Don't get me wrong, we did enjoy the long weekend.  We went out on our boat, we BBQ'd with friends, sat on our back deck in the sunshine drinking a beer, we exercised and enjoyed each others company.  But...I plan to never have to justify a veterans service to my children.  I hope to never have to validate a veterans service to anyone, let alone family ever again.  My children will understand and respect these people.  It's my obligation as a parent, a citizen and a spouse to teach them how to show respect.  

So many people forget that today is not about a paid holiday, a long weekend or a random grave adorned with a flag.  It is about our past as a country and the service members who carried our freedom on their backs.  

Happy Memorial Day!