Remember

Today is Memorial Day here in America, and it means so much more than the start of summer to me. My grandpas and great uncle and uncle and dad all served in the military and fought in wars. I grew up understanding what that meant. In college I took a class studying the literature of the Vietnam War and spent a lot of time getting to know local veterans. Then, to my surprise, I fell in love with a boy in the Air Force (how that happened is another story for another time!).

It takes two hands to count the number of my friends whose husbands are deployed right now. So today I ask you to remember the men and women who have served and are serving. Remember their families, the wives (and husbands) and children who celebrate birthdays and holidays and try to live their lives without their loved ones and with a fear in the back of their minds that they fight daily to not let take over. Remember those who did not return, and those who returned wounded--physically and mentally.


Jason has worn this POW/MIA bracelet every day for more than a decade. The name on the bracelet is Bennie L. Dexter. Jason never knew him, and he's not related to him. Bennie is just a man--let's face it, a boy--who fought in the Vietnam War and was never found. When we visited The Wall we found his name.


Take a moment to remember and say thanks, and have a beautiful and wonderful Memorial Day!