Veterans Day

On this special day in the U.S. (Veterans Day) I wanted to take time to discuss service to your country & thank all of the people who are currently serving or who have ever served.  There is no greater gift than to be willing to lay down your life for your country.  The incredible things that these men & women have done & seen in order to make the world a better place is amazing to me.  Far to many of them have paid the ultimate price by giving their life for their country. 

I truly believe the world is moving to place of more love & peace.  My hope would be that in our lifetime we will see the end of war.  But until that dream becomes a reality I salute the men & women that serve their country.

Many of the people that are currently serving had no idea they would be part of a war.  They were working everyday jobs just like you & me.  As a way to give back to their country they joined the National Guard.  In the past the National Guard has served mostly to help people after disasters.  These brave young men & young have now been pushed to the front lines in the war serving long tours of duty far away from home.

Can you imagine being away from your family & everyone you love for as long 18 months.  In a country you don't know & putting your life on the line everyday?  It's hard to imagine the sacrifice that these people have to endure. 

It's also important to remember the people they've left behind as well.  Imagine becoming a single parent because your significant other is shipped off to a war for up to 18 months.  All of a sudden you have to take care of everything on your own.  If you know of anyone that's in the situation, help them in anyway you can!!

Finally let's not forget when these brave young men & women return home.  Their readjust to a "normal" life is incredibly difficult & many of them can't handle the transition back.  Reach out your hand & help them.  Give them thanks & support them in anyway you can. 

I know we don't think about the people serving to much.  The statistics we hear on the news hurt us but don't really affect us unless it's someone we know.  Today & throughout the year give thanks to these brave men & women & reach your hand out to help them whenever you can.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

Quote of the Day "Give thanks to the service men & women you know today. Reach your hand out & lift them up to show your gratitude!"

My third video blog is now available on 'Youtube".  I continue on this blog discussing "love", take a look.  I look forward to your comments: http://bit.ly/4BcZBi


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Giving Thanks

Today after this wonderful holiday weekend, I thought it was time to reflect on our troops.

Have you thought about your freedom?  I think most people who live in this country take their freedom for granted.  Would you be willing to sacrifice your way of living to defend your freedom?  I think most of us would reluctantly fight for our freedom if we were ever invaded, but beyond that we don't worry or think about the cost of freedom.  Part of the reason for this, I believe, is because the draft is no longer around so we assume that everyone in the service wants to be there.  People join the services for a variety of reasons these days & a lot of them join to try & make a better life for themselves & their families. Many of the members of our armed services are younger people that have joined to give themselves the opportunity for a better education.  Still others joined the national guard assuming they would only be used for national emergencies.  Did you know that largest amount of casualties are among our national guard troops.

So on this Monday after the 4th of July do we truly understand the sacrifice these men & woman go through?  How would you like to be told that in two months you were going to be away from your way of life for 1.5 years.....could you adapt?  Well our troops do that for us & our freedom.  They leave their jobs they leave their families & they leave every part of their lives to go & fight two wars thousands of miles away to defend our way of life.

When they return, their life is different.  It's different because of what they've seen & had to deal with on a daily basis and it's different because their lives have changed while they're away.  Why?  because in their absence everyone has to move forward with their own lives.  We do this so we can keep moving forward but we don't realize the impact on our returning troops.  They come home feeling like an outsider in their own life. Because of this many of them can't deal with the changes and end up taking their own life.  Is this what we want?  What we believe is part of the sacrifice of being a member of our armed services?  

I don't believe any of us want this to happen but I do believe that we don't act to help.  So what can we do; First donate time or money to returning veterans associations, Second, if you know someone in your neighborhood that has served reach out to them help them re-engage in your community be their friend.  Third, if you only see them in passing, thank them, give them a smile any small gesture can help to make their day better.

Together we can change the lives of the people around us.  Together we can make a difference in the lives of our returning troops.  Think about what you can do today!  Help the country heal and avoid any further sacrifice.

Till tomorrow,

Bill

I wrote this blog from a friends request & out of love & support for our troops.  If there's something you'd like me to write about please feel free to let me know.

Quote of the day: The dreams we dream are all made possible by the people who served our country & paid the ultimate price to keep us free, never forget."