Remembering - Memorial Day

When I was a kid I saw photos of my dad in uniform. He was in the Navy during Vietnam. But his service and his military career was never spoken about in our house. Heck, I don't even think I understood that there was a war, and that my dad had been there. I was 25 before I ever heard my dad talk about serving. And he was talking to a boyfriend of mine who'd been in the Army.

That was just before Desert Storm in the early 90s. I was in college and sharing a house with 2 other girls. We lit candles and put them in the front window so all who drove by on our busy street could see we supported our troops.

Then in 2001 when we invaded Afganistan. I had trained all year to run a marathon in Ireland. It was for a cancer benefit. And on the last day of my major training (before tapering down my miles) I came back from a 20 mile run to find out about the war, and that our trip was cancelled. That was when I gave up running and started making beads.

In March of 2002, one of our former employees left the US for the first time in his life, to invade Iraq. At that time we tied huge yellow ribbons around our trees and made red, white and blue beads to send in packages to our troops. We wanted them to know they were loved, and that we remembered them. Thousands of beads were donated by 100s of beadmakers. It was awesome.

Back then, we never imagined our troops would still be in those foreign lands, fighting and dying for their country (or what their country asked of them).

I can't imagine anyone is pro-war, and if they are then shame on them. But as I write, I hope that all the soldiers who work for our country, and fight for what we so often take for granted, understand that we only hope the best for them, and want them back safe and sound. We also want there to be no more war, so they can come home to their families knowing they will never have to go back.

Freedom comes at a very high cost when there are those who resent our way of life. But you can guarantee that when they are in trouble and need help, they will turn to the US and our soldiers to help them.

God bless our military past and present, passed away and alive. And don't forget the military of other countries who sacrifice for freedom too, as they all work together to preserve what we call freedom.