Thirty Days of Thanksgiving- Day 11

It would be extremely remiss of me to be grateful today for anything EXCEPT  our veterans and soldiers. These are people who, often at a very young age, make an extreme sacrifice for their country and the people who make this country up. Today is Veteran's Day.... and it is a day to remember: To remember those who have lost their lives fighting for our country, to remember those who have had their lives changed irrevocably by a war that they understand far more than we who sit home, to remember the sacrifices that they have made.
It is a day late now.... though I started this on the 11th children being what they are and life as a mother being what it is: I was torn away. I have that option... I have the option of putting things off for a day... Our soldiers do not.... when they are called to arms it doesn't matter that they have children at home or a new baby on the way. When they are deployed no one checks to make sure that it fits with their long term plans. Weddings are moved up or put on hold... babies are met for the first time through Skype. We see the heartfelt reunions that make the whole world tear up with happiness and the world right, but it is rare to see the tearful goodbyes... where a soldier goes off and that soldier's family has days before word and months before hugging and holding that soldier again. Today soldiers are men AND women, Husband AND wives, Fathers AND mothers. These individuals pick up and off they go at a word.
My own brother has been overseas three times; twice to Afghanistan and once to Iraq. He missed three of his daughter's first four birthdays. He missed watching her first steps and he missed Christmases with her. This is the personal sacrifice that he made because our country called.
Others have made what seems like even larger sacrifices. There are soldiers who have sacrificed one limb, two limbs... some have sacrificed their lives. There are spouses who watch every news report on pins and needles... there are children who have said goodbye to a parent with no real certainty that it isn't forever. Our soldiers come back with PTSD and have a hard time fitting back into their family lives, their social lives, civilization. These men and women spend weeks or months jumping at every loud sound, or losing themselves in flashbacks. Some of these folks will never be the same again. These sacrifices are the norm... this is what it means to be a soldier. And we at home owe a great debt of gratitude for that. I am SO very grateful for the sacrifices that have been made by the men and women who wear the uniform of our country's armed services. I am posting a picture of my favorite veteran.... though I am grateful for every single one!