You see them everywhere. In groceries stores, on campus, at the movies or crossing the street. Men and women in uniform always catch my eye no matter where I am. About three years ago one of my New Years resolutions was to thank every service men and women I saw no matter where I saw them.
The first time I did it I was really nervous, I wasn't sure how they would react. Now looking back on it, seeing that soldiers face light up with a smile will be a memory I carry with me forever. Now I'm not telling you guys to make this a personal goal of yours, but you should really consider it. I don't do this to make myself feel better, I don't think it will make me a better person. I do this because I want to take the two seconds out of my day to show our military personnel that I appreciate them. I want to make them feel good, to make them feel honored and respected because they deserve nothing less.
When you see a uniform there are many indicators such as rank, insignia, ribbons and badges. A soldier carries their life story on their sleeve. You can see their honors, qualifications, infantry, battle campaigns, wars they have fought in and many others.But one thing I must stress is that you could see a general, or you could see a cadet, both deserve your respect. Both of them, at some point in their life, have made the choice to give their life for our country. They knew at some point, they might have to lay their life down. It could be in 10 years or it could never happen to them. But we must respect and honor the fact that they made that choice.
Every time I see a uniform I am filled with this overwhelming amount of gratitude and pride. What an honor it is to live in a country where people are willing to sacrifice their lives to protect it and others. I want to sit down with this soldier over coffee, tell them how much they mean to me and how grateful I am. I only hope that other people feel this way about our service men and women.
So next time you see a uniform out in public, shake their hand. Wave to them or smile, pay for their coffee or do anything to show your appreciation to them.
So this one is to you, the defenders of our country, the bravest men and women that walk this earth. I will continue to be thankful for you everyday for the rest of my life.
