A Heartfelt Thank You

It struck me last night while watching my feed with complaints and comments about the Republican Debate; we are so lucky to have the freedom to have the "issues" we do.

I think my generation (I'm in my late 30's) has not had to face the reality of fighting for our freedoms quite as personally as generations before us.  Certainly, I know friends and family who have served, we're aware of deployments to Iraq, Afghanistan, and some of the lesser-covered conflicts, but somehow our world seemingly wasn't as focused on the conflicts as those in the decades prior.

Maybe it's because of the variety of entertainment choices, maybe it was a cultural shift of some kind, heck maybe I'm completely wrong, but in the last few years and on this day, I'm struck by how profound the sacrifice from Veterans and those who love them has been.

And I'm grateful.

I made a decision a few years ago (after seeing an American Airlines commercial honoring Veterans and those currently serving) to attempt to thank anyone in uniform I come across or anyone I find has served, no matter how awkward it could be.  I've never been met with a bad response (though some of the humble Service Members don't seem to feel deserving of the attention).

So if you happen to be reading this and you are a Veteran, you are the family of one, or you are actively serving or family of someone who is I just wanted you to know two things.

You are appreciated, and I thank you.