Veterans.

I read a lot of really amazing posts on Veteran's Day.  It's a very important day for me.  I have a lot of emotion wrapped up in what the day means and what it represents.  So I wanted to write a blog about how strongly I feel about the soldiers, sailors, airmen and marines that serve or have served their country.

I ususally start off by listing who has served in my family.  Me, both my parents, both my grandparents, my sister, my brothers AND their wives, my husband, his father, his grandfather, a couple cousins on both sides, an uncle or two and a few great grandfathers.....b

This is also the year when many nations lost the last remaining WWI vet.  The ones I grew up thinking of as "veterans".  The last of "the Greatest Generation" is leaving us.  The USA only has one left now.  He is 107 and may not be around next year.

But somehow in the mess of life, I spent more time getting teary eyed over other blogs....and i can't seem to put my thoughts  about all of this into words. I wanted to write about the vets of today vrs vets of WWI.  I thought about adding up all the years of service in my family.  I wanted to write of my pride in our soldiers.  But I can't get it out. It doesn't help when my daughter keeps running in the room yelling, "It's popsicle day!  We should eat popsicles!  Hooray!"  She really is distracting.

The Sunday leading up to Veteran's Day was a tough day.  At church we were discussing the bonds between a husband and wife. We talked about how to keep a marriage strong when one partner is gone (deployed).  But all I could think about was my friend. It breaks my heart that she no longer has that bond here on earth.  Yeah, I know that after this life we can be reunited, blah blah blah.  But the fact of the matter is, he isn't coming home.  He went off to serve his country.  He sacrificed time with his family, knowing that he may not return.  It's tough having a soldier leave.  It's even harder to know that there are so many who will never come home, that they are leaving family behind.  A wife who has to be strong and faithful on her own.  

I don't know. Being married to a soldier is hard and it takes a strong, trusting bond to hold them together even when apart. I'm not saying this right, but it just hurts to know that someone doesn't have that.

So in addition to all the other things that I was thinking about veterans day....I was grieving for a friend.  Grateful for the willingness to support our nation, but hit hard by the loss.  I know the names of too many widows, too many soldiers who sacrificed for our nation.

May our country never forget them.

May they be honored and remembered.

May the widows be remembered for their service and support of thier husbands.  While they may not have worn the uniform, they sacrificed for the United States as well.