Veteran's Day

Holidays centered around saluting and thanking our military always get me teary.  When I stop to think about the sacrifices our soldiers and their families make on a daily basis to protect our country and the freedom in other countries, I'm very grateful.  I've taught my boys to say "Thank you" when we come across someone in uniform or a veteran.  Things like that are important.

I talked with Noah and Avery about the meaning behind today's holiday.  We talked about ways to pay tribute, how we could say "thank you" in our own way and what it means to be in the military, both for the individual and the family as a whole.  I want my children to have a greater understanding of what being in the military means: that it's not just shooting guns and blowing things up, as so many video games and movies depict it.

On our way home today, we drove past a gentleman in the median of the 4-lane highway.  He was on his horse, high on a hill with the sun at his back, holding the American flag.  I was truly in awe of his beautiful tribute to our veterans and our country.  I turned around so I could go back and get a picture.  I stopped to speak to the gentleman and learned he has been doing this for 17 years.  When we stopped at 4, he had already been there for 5 hours.  I got all teary when I shook his hand and thanked him.  I'm quite certain that even his horse understood his role in this somber tribute:  he stood with his head held high, as though he was proud to be serving the United States with his rider in their own way.

Beautiful.  Majestic.  Patriotic.