Veterans Day

One of my favorite things about my husband is a habit he has of thanking each and every active and retired military serviceman or woman that he sees.  It might be the guy in full fatigues at Lowe’s or the elderly gentleman with a WWII hat sitting in McAlister’s Deli, but Chris will make it a point to go over and thank them for their service.  I can tell you that every time he receives the most genuine “thank you” back from these individuals.  A lot of them are caught completely off-guard by his simple thanks.  Everyone likes to be appreciated and these men and women deserve all the recognition and appreciation we can give. 

I’ve always admired Chris for never missing a chance to say thank you, but especially now that we have two little boys watching every move we make, I love this simple act that he models for them.  I can only hope they grow up to be men with such respect for those who keep us safe. 

This past summer I read the book Unbroken by Laura Hillebrand was absolutely blown away by the accounts in that book.  It follows one man in particular through his service in WWII and beyond.  The book is life-changing and will make you want to not only thank every WWII vet you meet, but you might even find yourself stalking them in the aisles of your grocery store (like me) trying to come up with the right words to capture your level of gratitude.  :)  This book is THAT good.  It should be required reading of all Americans.

This coming Sunday is Veterans Day and it serves as a good reminder to look for those in our midst, even if that means seeking them out, so we can truly thank them for what they are doing and what they did to make America safe and strong.  A quick and easy way to say thank you is through the “thank a troop” Shutterfly Facebook page.  You can personalize a quick message and Shutterfly will print it, and send it to a troop who is presently in harm’s way.  So so simple on our end, with the potential to bless and encourage a man or woman who is serving to keep us safe.  If you’re interested in joining me, here’s the link. 

Though this is an affiliate post through shutterfly, I would never share anything on our personal blog that I didn’t believe in and support myself.  In fact, this one resonated with me more than ever as I think about how much it encourages each person that my husband stops to thank.  I took only a minute to personalize a card and send it along to a troop.  To me it seemed too easy, but I think we all underestimate the power of what a simple “thank you” can bring.

And in the spirit of gratitude I would be remiss if I didn’t say Thank You to my own Father and Father-in-Law who both served this country bravely.  My boys have three of the finest men in their father and grandfathers to look up to!  We love you!

“Freedom is never free.” 
-Author Unknown