Today, on the last Monday in May, I ask you all to give thanks. Give thanks to those who have fought or are fighting for you to live a life of beauty and freedom. A life of love and laughter, with those we choose to love and those who have chosen to love us in return. Give thanks to those who have put their lives on the line to protect ours, as there is no greater sacrifice. Give thanks to those who make us proud to be an American.

Memorial Day, a day dedicated to this nation's men and women who have shown such honorable bravery, strength, and courage, is a day that shall never go unnoticed. A day to remember those who have fallen, with hearts of gratitude as they have laid their lives on the line for thousands of strangers, simply because their love for this nation is like no other. A day that honors the family members, friends, co-workers, teammates, and brave soldiers who were unable to make it home from a place unimaginable to most.

On this day, while you spend time with your friends and loved ones who you struggle to imagine a life without, I ask you to take a moment to think of the friends and loved ones of those who have experienced loss. Those who have spent countless days worried that their worst nightmare would come true, only to find that someday it would. Think of the spouses and the children that are faced with a life of incomplete moments. Think of the friends who were never able to say goodbye. Think of the parents who have dedicated their lives to protecting their children, who could not complete their mission, and send these people endless amounts of love and gratitude, as their sacrifices are just as great as those we have lost.

As for our nation's bravest and most honorable individuals, I would like to take a moment to thank you for all that you have done to ensure that this place that I love so much is protected. I thank you for the dedication and the time spent training, as that is just as important as the time spent in combat. I thank you for sacrificing time with your loved ones, and for setting such an outstanding example for those searching for a life to be proud of. Thank you for your love and courage, that has allowed me to share love and courage of my own.

I thank you for the countless sleepless nights, and for putting your life on the line no matter the circumstance. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for being simply amazing in all ways possible. Simply, I thank you for my life. A life full of gratitude. A life I hope to spend proving that your sacrifice was worth every second. A life I hope to spend making all those who have fallen for me proud.

May you forever be in our hearts and on our mind, as it is so incredibly hard to forget someone so worth remembering. Your legacy shall remain for generations to come.

With all my love, I thank you, today and every day from now until forever.

All My Love,

A Proud American