Our family has been quite Blessed. WWII saw my father in the Coast Guard and my uncle in the Air Force and they both made it home. Korea skipped us entirely. Vietnam saw service from my cousin and my second husband and again, both came home.
Many families have not had that experience and their loved ones are scattered from Normandy to Midway; from Osan to the Nakdong River; from Dong Xoai to Khe Sanh.
This is the best country in the world, even with its faults and foibles. A return to sensible spending seems to be imminent. The reduction of blatant consumerism may follow so that it is not what I own but what I have to offer humanity that is recognized. (Our parents and grandparents knew the value of Reduce/Reuse/Recycle long before the "3 R's" term or triangle were born.) Many people seem to forget that our free enterprise system was based on hard work and dedication to duty.
Our soldiers never forgot that basic tenet. They also never forgot that certain core values are worth fighting for--they are not to be easily laid aside for expediency. Even in war, there are rules to follow and consequences result if those rules are broken.
We have entered a new age and new rebirth in America. January 2009 brought great change, and for many Americans, a sense of optimism not seen or felt since the Camelot days of JFK. Thanks to our fighting men and women deployed around the world in places and conditions not of their choosing, we can enjoy what has become the new Memorial Day tradition--a day off work (often paid) where we can barbecue and swim and go to the park or the movies and enjoy our families.
Please take a moment and reflect on your loved ones lost in the service of the greater good...I thank each and every one of them for providing me with a country as great as this where I have endless opportunities for success.
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