"True heroism is remarkably sober, very undramatic, it is not the urge to surpass others at all cost but to surve others at all costs."-Arthur Ashe
The two pictures above were taken on a trip to D.C. a year ago. The first is at the Korean War memorial. The second is inside Arlington National Cemetery.
I've never been in a place that evokes quite so many emotions like Arlington does. I'm not sure how anyone could step inside and not feel thankful. The mass number of bodies laid to rest there is astonishing. Every single one of them a key piece in our freedom from one point in time or another. Each white marker holds a story of how freedom was fought for, protected, and won because of a sacrifice made. It is hallowed ground. Beautiful, inspiring hallowed ground.
A week ago I stood in a line and voted. Such a simple thing that is so important and so few people take the time to actually do. One of the many things I can do because of the people who died to make it that way. Today is Veteran's Day. These past few days I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. Often that is not the easiest thing despite my love of words. Getting my feelings and thoughts into a tidy piece about some subject or another requires work. Work that this past week was focused on preparing a lesson for our Young Adult Bible Study. While writing everything for that yesterday it hit me, My ability to do what I will do tonight is because of the people in Arlington and around the world, living and gone, who sacrificed themselves for my freedom.
The very word freedom is almost a paradox. No where in time has freedom come freely. It has come with the price of blood, sweat, tears, and lives. From the Revolutionary War onward gaining freedom came at the cost of husbands, sons, daughters and families. This is a payment that shouldn't be overlooked. When a loved one in lost to this cause it changes things and I think it is easy to forget the families of those who are lost protecting us. We have what we have because they lost something.
I'm glad that this isn't a day marked with large firework displays and barbecues. Not because I don't think our Veterans and those who currently served in the Armed Forces should be celebrated, they should. If I didn't agree with it I wouldn't write about it. I'm just happy to see that it hasn't become so commercialized that the very reason the day exists is passed over for a reason to eat food and shoot colored lights into the sky.
It isn't hard to be thankful for the freedom I have when I need only to see the news or newspaper headlines of how things are progressing worldwide. The rights we have, that we can exercise are so vast and it is because so many make sure we live in a place where we have a chance to make ourselves heard and to choose how we wish to live. Blood-bought, hard-fought, and supported by the men and women of the Armed Forces. We are free because they chose to make sure it stayed that way no matter the cost.
To those who give me such freedoms I want to say Thank You. Your sacrifice won't be forgotten.
I've never been in a place that evokes quite so many emotions like Arlington does. I'm not sure how anyone could step inside and not feel thankful. The mass number of bodies laid to rest there is astonishing. Every single one of them a key piece in our freedom from one point in time or another. Each white marker holds a story of how freedom was fought for, protected, and won because of a sacrifice made. It is hallowed ground. Beautiful, inspiring hallowed ground.
A week ago I stood in a line and voted. Such a simple thing that is so important and so few people take the time to actually do. One of the many things I can do because of the people who died to make it that way. Today is Veteran's Day. These past few days I've been trying to figure out what I wanted to say and how I wanted to say it. Often that is not the easiest thing despite my love of words. Getting my feelings and thoughts into a tidy piece about some subject or another requires work. Work that this past week was focused on preparing a lesson for our Young Adult Bible Study. While writing everything for that yesterday it hit me, My ability to do what I will do tonight is because of the people in Arlington and around the world, living and gone, who sacrificed themselves for my freedom.
The very word freedom is almost a paradox. No where in time has freedom come freely. It has come with the price of blood, sweat, tears, and lives. From the Revolutionary War onward gaining freedom came at the cost of husbands, sons, daughters and families. This is a payment that shouldn't be overlooked. When a loved one in lost to this cause it changes things and I think it is easy to forget the families of those who are lost protecting us. We have what we have because they lost something.
I'm glad that this isn't a day marked with large firework displays and barbecues. Not because I don't think our Veterans and those who currently served in the Armed Forces should be celebrated, they should. If I didn't agree with it I wouldn't write about it. I'm just happy to see that it hasn't become so commercialized that the very reason the day exists is passed over for a reason to eat food and shoot colored lights into the sky.
It isn't hard to be thankful for the freedom I have when I need only to see the news or newspaper headlines of how things are progressing worldwide. The rights we have, that we can exercise are so vast and it is because so many make sure we live in a place where we have a chance to make ourselves heard and to choose how we wish to live. Blood-bought, hard-fought, and supported by the men and women of the Armed Forces. We are free because they chose to make sure it stayed that way no matter the cost.
To those who give me such freedoms I want to say Thank You. Your sacrifice won't be forgotten.
