Often times, people take Memorial Day for granted. They see the "three day weekend" sticker on their calendar and pack up the kids and go on a small vacation. People forget that Memorial Day is a day that celebrates our freedom and those who have died fighting for it. I'm not writing this to start any arguments, but I'm writing this to thank those who have served or who are serving.

I come from a family filled with veterans and men and women who are currently fighting for ours as well as other nations, and I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like they should salute every other relative they see at family gatherings. I know that Memorial Day came and went, but I still feel the necessity to express my feelings through more than a tacky Facebook post.

It is an incredibly solemn day for me. The sun could be shining and the world could be bright and I would still feel an overwhelming melancholy. My mind swirls with dark images of the horrors that many of our heroes must have seen. I feel miniscule compared to the men and women who rushed towards the sounds of war while others hurried away. Innocent people gave their lives for a cause they felt was worth sacrificing for. Many of you may read this, scoff, and think, "some country they're fighting for now," but they don't see it like that. As horrible a road as our country may be headed down, innocent men and women feel that it is their duty to defend what little greatness is left within our nation.

However, the people defending us are defending other innocent people from their own nations as well. They are not just defending our nation from possible intruders, but they are defending those nations from their own radical civilians. These people selflessly give themselves to defend people whom they do not even know. They know nothing about the situations they are going to be put through or the things they are going to see, but they march forward without ever looking back. How is it possible to be filled with so much love and selflessness that you become so brave? How do prisoners of war suffer as they do and never betray their country or their own character? I think that's something this nation needs a lot more of if you ask me.

I hold these men and women in a special place in my soul. As someone who struggles with anxiety and depression, these are the people who empower me daily to summon up the courage and bravery to walk head first into an overwhelming day. I cannot express in words the sublime respect that I have for the men and women who have fought or are fighting for our nation. I cannot thank them enough, and I encourage you to thank each veteran you come across because they deserve all of the gratitude in the world. Furthermore, to any veteran, man or woman who is currently serving, their family members, and the families of those who are no longer with us, you are appreciated and loved by people you don't even know. You are the strongest of us all, and we owe you the universe for the things you have done for us. You gain strength every day, and you give strength to those of us who cannot fight.

Thank you. Sincerely and with all of my being, thank you.