IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER.

Sometimes I forget that Nick is a veteran. That he has been to places civilians can't even fathom, he has seen and experienced things beyond our wildest dreams.

Sometimes I forget that I met him during a very brief leave between two deployments.

Sometimes I forget that we were a world apart for the first year that we "dated".

Sometimes I forget, because I look at how far we've come in the ten years since we first met. That life, that military one, seems surreal.

But we were among the lucky ones. He came home. Alive. And I don't take that for granted. Ever.

Growing up, Memorial Day meant nothing to me. Sure, I knew that my Grandpa was a veteran, but it didn't hold any real significance. Until I met Nick. And moved to his town, where this day means a whole lot.

 



While it's easy to forget in our day to day life, I like taking this day to remember where we have been and how far we've come. I am forever grateful for those that are willing to take a stand for you and I, for our country, and our freedom. It is important to honor those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. I am honored to take part in this day, to share it with my children, and hug my husband at the end of the day.

 

It amazes me at the things my children pick up on, the things I haven't taught them but they somehow know. On this very Memorial Day, Nugget spotted a veterans plate on a vehicle in the parking lot of our local VFW.

Nugget: "Mama, is he a veteran?"
Mama: "Yes, he is."
Nugget: "My Daddy's a veteran. He was a soldier."

It's not something we talk a whole lot about, and I'm not sure if she really even knows what a soldier does, but a seed has been planted...a very important seed.

Someday, they'll get to see Daddy's pictures, and hear his stories about jumping out of airplanes and delivering bags of rice to civilians in the desert.

But for today, I'm glad we can remember for them. And in time, they too will know, that it's important to remember.