A Thank You to Those That Have Served

Thank you.

I want to thank those that have served and lost their lives protecting the land that I am blessed to call my home. Throughout history America has relied on the sacrifice of its people to protect the land. These sacrifices continue through today and are often overlooked. Memorial Day is a day that transcends political affiliations or moral viewpoints. This election season, maybe more than any other, has been a source of controversy and confusion. It is important that for this one weekend out of the year we take time to set aside our differences and be grateful for the people that died to protect America.

There are people that believed so strongly in what they were fighting for that they were willing to die for it. I don’t know how anyone could be unappreciative of that. Whether or not you agree with what they were doing, it is inconceivable to me that people would not be grateful for their sacrifice.

Memorial Day is a day to honor and remember those that have fallen while serving the United States. It is far too easy to limit this remembrance to one day a year. Remembering those that gave the ultimate sacrifice should be something that happens every day. It is impossible to not be thankful to the people that fought for our freedom in times that were probably stressful and downright frightening.

Memorial Day is a day that can be simplified down to hot dogs, beer, and summer, but that is completely forgetting the actual importance of the day. The holiday is in memory of people that have died and that meaning is frequently lost. It is important to have fun and to enjoy your time with friends and family. It is also important to take a few moments to remember and just say thank you to those that have died protecting our freedom.

America is one of the greatest countries in the world, whether or not people believe that. It is so important to remember the people that helped get us to that point. The people that were willing to lay down their lives for what they believe; those willing to protect those that are unable to protect themselves; and even protect those that don’t believe that they need protection or blatantly disagree with what they are doing.

To those that have lost loved ones in the name of freedom: I cannot fathom that kind of loss. I cannot imagine the pain that comes with losing a loved one who believed so strongly in what they were doing that it was worth dying for. Please know that they did not die for nothing. They died protecting what they believed in and a country that they believed was worth fighting for.

To those that have died in the name of defending America: thank you. There are not enough words in my heart to express the gratitude that I feel. I cannot imagine feeling a devotion that strong, but I am indebted to you because you do. On this Memorial Day, I did my best to honor and remember the sacrifices that you made.

Once again, thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.