All members of the military signed a paper in which they became property of the US government and offered to put their lives on the line, if that is what was asked of them. While there are are a very few that may have done what they could to escape the clutches of war, most felt it was their duty to go and, if asked, willingly went. Some, due to duties at home, never were asked, but that does not make them less of a warrior. Their offer to the people of our country was just the same, they never happened to be taken up on it.
As I think about those who did spend time in battle and came back with scars, I honor those with physical scars and those with mental scars. Coming home with all of your physical body parts does not mean that you were not injured. Many of our veterans have come home with invisible scars that will affect who they are forever.
In honoring our veterans, I also honor their families. The sacrifices they make are not of the same nature, but they are still great. These families choose to support their military member in their commitment to the United States. They rarely live in a place for more than three years. They spend days, months or years without their loved one, often worrying everyday for their safety. Some of them have no idea what their spouses are doing or where they are. Some spouses do not even know when their spouses are leaving or how long they will be gone. These families make their lives work with weird schedules, various locations and much hardship. They have the same problems we do; money, illness, stress and busy schedules, yet they still choose to carry the additional burden that comes with being a military family.
On Veteran's Day, I ask those of you who have not been in the military or part of a military family to really think about what that life is like. I ask to think about your 18 or 20 year-old self and imagine signing a document that requires you to willingly uproot your life and, if asked, give that life for your country. I ask to imagine leaving your family to be, potentially, stationed across the world or the country in a place that you do not get to choose. I ask to imagine finding the perfect spouse and hoping that they will be willing to take on your commitment. I ask you to imagine leaving your kids for the third time because you realize that it is necessary for the greater good of our people, hoping that you will be blessed enough to return home. I ask you to imagine being the mom or dad of a young soldier and watching them leave for boot camp or deployment. I ask you to imagine being the spouse who misses them but still has to keep life together at home. I ask you to imagine being the military member that tries to hold it together as you say goodbye to your crying family. Now, I ask you to imagine watching your best buddies die in a gun fight then having to take another person's life to keep your own and what it would be like to live with that as you come home to the life you left. I also ask you to imagine seeing friend after friend being deployed, never having it asked of you while you wonder why you were never chosen to fight for your country because you trained for it and you want to do your part.
I could go on, but I think you can see the point that I am trying to make. Today, please do not just shop your sales and enjoy the nice day. Today, my plea to you is to ask that you reflect on the freedoms you have and really think about the sacrifices that were made for you. And if you see a Veteran, please, thank them and if it is your way, offer a prayer for them.
No comments:
Post a Comment