To the 22 million (and counting) living men and women that served our country for any period of time, I salute you.
As the proud daughter of two U.S. Army veterans, I salute you and I wholeheartedly shout, “HOOAH!” and “Thank you!”
At this very moment I am serving in the army of the Lord alongside 47 other amazing young adults on the other side of the world in Malaysia. However, for several days now my sole focus has been on you, the veteran.
So, please allow me to share with you 11 reasons my cup runneth over with joy, pride, sadness, gratitude, concern, and love.
- Patience/Perseverance. For months on end you went through basic training, AIT, and other trainings/schools so that you could serve with a spirit of excellence in whatever your MOS may have been. You may have grumbled and complained. You may have disagreed with some things. But you never gave up. And for that, I say “Thank you!”
- Self-Control. At times you may not have felt respected or treated as an individual because of your rank, or lack thereof, yet you held fast to your faith and convictions knowing that eventually “all things would work together for your good.”
- Peace/Protection. You literally were ready to lay down your life for me, so that I could continue to feels safe and secure, even though you had no idea I existed. “Thank you for being an example of Christ.”
- Sacrifice. Many, if not all of you, set aside your dreams, time, relationships, and mental, physical, and emotional health. You proudly stood in the gap for me with no questions asked. Words aren’t enough… “Thank you!”
- Grace. When I see you today and fail to acknowledge you, you continue to think of me. I’m so sorry. “Thank you!”
- Faithful. Sometimes people did not understand why you were “going over there” and they blamed you for things that were out of your control yet you continued to selflessly serve when you very well could have gone AWOL and left them to figure it out for themselves.
- Kindness. Some of you served under my dad (or some other little girl’s dad) and you made me feel like a princess, like the most important girl in the world as I walked across base or when you saw me in public. A dainty curtsy to you, my hero.
- Joy. So many of you have a zeal for life that civilians will never understand. Thank you for choosing to come back to us and to show us how to cherish every moment.
- Goodness. Even when the going gets tough and you’re being briefed on all the craziness going on in the world, you continue find a way to see the good in others, and to allow us to see the good in you.
- Gentleness. You embody the lyrics of Lyfe Jennings’ song entitled Must Be Nice. “Someone as mighty as a lion but still as gentle as a bluebird.”
- Love. My. favorite. Even from thousands of miles away you still find a way to make us feel loved, noticed, and special even though you’re the one that is separated from the comforts of home.
On this Veteran’s Day, not only do I salute you, dear brother or sister, but I honor and love you. From the depths of my heart, I hope you will accept this unequivocally small gesture on behalf of myself and all of the people and things you serve so well both at home and on foreign soil.
Thank you, Daddy and Ma, for showing me what it means to serve in the spirit of excellence, to sacrifice unbegrudgingly, and to “carry on” through it all. You’re the best! And thank you to my big sister Shane for showing me that #BlackGirlsRock in uniform, too! Happy Veteran’s Day to each of you!
