Thank you for your service...

The Fourth of July was a favorite holiday of my parents. Both of them proudly served during WWII, mom as a "Rosie the Riveter", dad in the Navy. They were modest people and rarely talked about their experience, but their respect for our country was apparent. Like many in the Fifties, they had little but gave everything. They lived their truth and it became mine. 

No matter where we live, we have traveled through sorrows and joys to arrive at this one defining moment. With fireworks blasting and riots threatening, we hope and pray for a tomorrow that unites and does not divide. So it is that in the midst of confusion and violence, I pause and offer thanksgiving to all who serve.

Thank you - to my husband and brother and brother-in-laws for their service during Vietnam. Thank you - to all my cousins and nephews who serve or have served in the Middle East. Thank you - to my nephew in the Border Patrol and to my nephews who serve or have served in the police force. Thank you - to all those in my extended family who are or were in the medical profession. Thank you - to those teachers in the family who are trying to make a difference.

Thank you - to all near and far who have withstood hardship, embraced sacrifice, and held tight to hope - for our country, for our families, and for our tomorrows.