Veteran's Day

Is it just me or do we have an ever increasing need to thank the men and women who defend our liberty and freedoms? Per chance it is my increasing age or possibly the freedoms that have caught my attention of recent.


On November 6th, we all over the United States have had the opportunity to cast our vote, to utter our opinion no matter how unobtrusive or quiet. It is my hope that we recognize the sacrifices of generations that have gone before that gave us this right and an appreciation for those that continue to give of their time, their abilities, and some even their lives, for us to enjoy such a right. Not all living on Mother Earth have this privilege.

On a more recent evening, after my family had retired and all was quiet, I gave my attention the sound of a rather large aircraft overhead. Whether coming in for a landing at the nearby passenger airport of the slightly more distant military airfield, I don't know. What caught my attention, and possibly because of what we had watched on TV, was the gentle peace that infused my soul knowing I appreciated that aircraft and many more like it rather than running for a safer location (bomb shelter, bunker, etc.) How many have lived and died fearing the sound of a plane overhead? Yes. I am thankful for the peace I and mine enjoy.

How appropriate that Veterans Day falls just days before Thanksgiving. I encourage one and all to include veterans, their lives, and their deaths, and for some - the normalcy of civilian life, in our Thanksgiving rituals this year and for years to come. To the men and women who have served, do now serve, or will someday serve, Thank you.