In a year with so much uncertainty and confusion, there are very few things that we can know for certain. We do not know exactly when this pandemic will end, when things will return to normal, or when we can see some of our closest family and friends again. However, we sometimes fail to consider that there’s already a select group of Americans who live life this way (or have in the past). I am referring to our heroes who serve in various parts of the world who have made the sacrifice to serve: the members of our Armed Forces and Veterans.
Many of them signed up knowing that they may not get to see their friends or families again, but they still made the decision to put the wellbeing of their country before their own, and for that I thank them. Our veterans and active duty service members who have served domestically or on foreign soil have made sacrifices for us that few will fully understand or be able to appreciate. In 2020, it is necessary for us to appreciate the heroes that our veterans are every day, but especially today on Veteran’s Day.
This year has been filled with turmoil, loss, and sorrow, but it has also been a year of growth, perseverance, and victories. As we reflect on these personal losses and victories, it is important to keep in mind the issues that our veterans are facing. Too many face homelessness, battles with drugs and/or alcohol, depression, and PTSD from facing sometimes unimaginable horrors during their service overseas in our name. These heroes fought and continue to fight to preserve the freedoms that we so often take for granted here in the United States, and without their service we would not be able to live in a nation that values freedom as much as we do. The right to vote freely (something we just celebrated with about 147 million of our fellow Americans), the right to speak freely, and the right to live freely have all been protected by our active duty service members and veterans, and it is important that we never fail to recognize and appreciate those who have sacrificed so we could have those rights.
It truly is a great sacrifice to serve our country, so please take a moment to appreciate our veterans and their willingness to serve and sacrifice for the greater good of the United States of America.
