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The price of freedom.
Today, on Veteran’s Day, there will be hundreds of articles written about this topic from every possible angle. It would be easy to avoid the topic altogether and focus on one of many Career Coaching issues. However, as I sit here at my desk in my office determining what will guide my fingers on the keyboard today, it is impossible to ignore the fact that I have the freedom to select my topics.
There are men and women risking their lives every day to protect my freedom to write as I choose. Do I throw out a silent ‘thank you’ every day? I, like most, do not. However, I think maybe I should. I think it may be time in my life and in the lives of all Americans to raise the bar with a daily acknowledgment of what is being provided us by people we don’t even know. People whom, unselfishly, put their lives on the line for our freedom and ask for nothing in return.
Each of us enjoys our freedom without regard to the price. We take for granted that we can get in our vehicles and travel as we choose without permission from a national agency. We take for granted that we can discuss the topic of our choice with our neighbors, co-workers and family without retribution and without fear of punishment. We are free to learn openly and without control. We are free to believe as we choose and to protect what is ours. Most importantly, we have the freedom to disagree.
To those parents with sons and daughters in the armed forces who risk losing their children every day, thank you. To the spouses and children of those risking their lives every day, thank you. To the widows and widowers of those who have given the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy every day, thank you. To the men and women of the armed forces whose faces I have not seen, whose names I do not know and whose sacrifices I can’t begin to understand…thank you.
How do we demonstrate our gratitude for something as intangible as ‘freedom’ that transcends every tangible aspect of our daily lives? There are many wonderful groups and efforts supporting the men and women of the armed forces and their families. I have had the privilege to work with a non-profit that provides scholarships to the spouses and children of fallen and wounded men and women of the armed forces. This agency is providing education to those who would not be able to afford it otherwise. The agency is Folds of Honor, led by people who understand the sacrifices being made by heroes every day. On this Veteran’s Day, I encourage you to find a way to demonstrate your gratitude. As you say your silent ‘thank you’ to those who risk their lives protecting our freedoms, consider manifesting that gratitude into something that will touch the lives of those making the ultimate sacrifice.
There is honor in choosing to protect our freedom and honor in demonstrating our gratitude for that choice.
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