PS for Yesterday

I would like to add a post script concerning the post that I made yesterday. Yesterday was a day which was filled with programs, parades, activities, speeches and even free meals in some restaurants for the Veterans who have served our nation in the Armed Forces. All of this recognition is well and good and I am thankful for each gesture that was made to honor these individuals for their heroic acts of service for our nation. We definitely should applaud them on special days of celebration/recognition but our appreciation as a nation needs to go deeper than just a "holiday" full of events and "planned" celebrations. We should live with an attitude of appreciation and recognition for the honorable service that men and women have offered through the years of our existence as a nation.

I do not know the originator of this statement; "Freedom is not free", but we must fully grasp the truth that is contained in those words. We must NEVER FORGET the true price of freedom. We celebrate our "freedoms" on a daily basis but how often do I stop and remember that many men and women have defended those freedoms so that I (we) could enjoy them on a daily basis? Many of these individuals bear the scars of that defense in their body and even in their minds up to this present day. Isn't it true to say that our freedom is worth more than just a yearly time of celebration? We need to be committed to letting the Veterans know that we appreciate them on every opportunity that we can. We need to let those in the Armed Forces who are presently serving know that we appreciate their service. 

Soldiers have given their lives so that I could live in nation with religious freedom. Soldiers have given their lives so that I could live in a nation where I could work and provide for my family. Soldiers have given their lives so that I could live in a nation with food, opportunities for recreation, numerous item on the shelves of various type of stores, etc. I challenge you to let the attitude toward our military personnel become more than just a "yearly tip of the hat." I challenge you to let the "attitude of gratitude" for our Armed Forces become a characteristic of our daily living. This action on our part will cause the military forces to be encouraged but it will also cause each of us to become a better person.

Better people will cause us to be a better nation and isn't that what we need at this critical point in our history?