I cannot fathom that kind of goodbye - the one where you hug your husband, son, father, grandfather, mother, sister, friend tight and wish them well - all the while having absolutely no assurance that you'll ever see them again, ever hug them again. This is the nature of sending a loved one off to serve their country: blind faith and hope and love sent into the universe and your entire existence wrapped up in your belief (and wish) that they'll return to you.
My personal story does not include this scenario in that I've never directly kissed a loved one goodbye and watched them walk away from me into the heart of danger. I have however, born witness. I have sat around the christmas tree and talked to them, played with their children, hugged their wives and mothers and stood in awe of them. Missing limbs, battered and bruised, happy to be home but dying to go back...needing with every fiber of their being to return to their comrades, their buddies, their family. Because that is their duty. Their honor. Their code.
No matter your personal politics, I think we can all rally around that. And honor the collective bravery and courage that has netted us so many liberties throughout time.
So today, on Veteran's Day, I will pause for a moment to remember. And I will whisper thank you - for rushing into danger when others would have run away, for facing head on horrors which most of us can't even conceive of, for protecting our land, our people, our freedom, our world - rejecting terror and tyranny and injustice - for holding steadfast and saying simply, no - not on my watch.
I honor all veterans today along with their families. Thank you, truly, thank you.
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