In Memory

To anyone who has ever sent a family member to war, this is for you.

I can't say too much good about the wonderful men and women willing to lay down their lives to protect others. You are loved. And to the families who send your loved ones to serve the rest of us, thank you. 

Thicker than Blood

Has anyone ever fought a battle for you?

I have several older brothers, and despite the conflicts we had as children, we've always been fiercely loyal to one another. Voltaire nails it on the head. I knew if I ever had a problem with kids at school or in the neighborhood, I could call on my brothers to stand up for me.

Today is Memorial day, and as one who has lost a father and a brother, I look on this holiday quite differently. My father did not die fighting for my freedom, but he gladly would have. My brother was not a casualty of war, but he would have given his life gladly to defend those he loved. As I think about that, I picture the many families who's fathers, brothers, sisters or mothers have given their lives for the cause of freedom. My heart breaks for those who have sacrificed. It is buoyed up by the love of these men and women, for:

Here's a heart-felt thank you to all those who've sacrificed--be they soldiers who have passed on, or families who've made due without a vital part of their hearts. You are what makes a nation great. You are true heroes.