The Wonder of Service

Today is Veteran’s Day, a day that always makes my heart burst with pride in our country and the people who defend it. Since I was tiny, I’ve been a sucker for all things America... the flag, the soldiers, July 4, Inauguration Day, voting, the national anthem, the pledge. I have never served in the military and never even really considered it other than a brief few weeks after I apparently aced the ASVAAB(?) and the Air Force recruiter talked to me a LOT about being a physical therapist (my career goal at that time) in the Air Force. I guess it’s a good thing that didn’t work out since I don’t know of many English teacher positions in our armed forces.

Anyway, I will openly admit that I have always harbored a secret dream that one of my kids would go into the military. It was pretty obvious from early on that it wasn’t going to be Emma or Kelsey, so I figured my dream was over before it started. However, along came Angela and JROTC and, while there is still a lot of time for things to change (like my PT career), it’s looking like she may be my Airman one day! Seeing her in the JROTC program (and the impact of that program on so many of our kids) has been the most incredible thing. I feel so blessed that we have it at CHS and that she gets to take part in it.

I posted the photo and post below on fb, so I thought I would share here as well.

I’m hopeful that we live our lives in a way that honors our veterans daily, by appreciating the freedom we enjoy and by living gratefully for the sacrifices they make when they choose to serve. However, a day set aside to honor them specifically is an excellent reminder that this life we live didn’t come without a cost. This quote is from a book we read in Holocaust Lit, and it is from an interaction between this young Holocaust survivor and her liberator, an American soldier. “I couldn’t absorb enough of the wonder that he fought for my freedom.” May we all cherish the wonder today that men and women all around the world are fighting for freedom to be preserved, both for Americans as well as for those in countries far away, like this Jewish girl in Poland in 1945. To the three veterans in our direct family lineage, my dad (Air Force), my father-in-law (Army), and my husband’s grandfather whom I never got to meet (Army— Purple Heart in WWII), the Davis 7 is so grateful for your service and your courage.