Today I am thankful for... (day three)

Today I am thankful for brave men and women who defend my family, my country, and my lifestyle so that I am free to live it. They go where no one else wants to go, do what no one else will speak of, and are expected to come back and live happily after all that. I am sincerely grateful for their sacrifices.

My brother-in-law was in the military (specifically in the Marine Corps.) for a few years. It's no great secret what he gave up in the end. He is living a great life now, but will have physical challenges to overcome for the rest of his life. And he was one of the lucky ones.

While he was enlisted, he missed many family events. Some were major, some were minor, and we planned what we could around the times he would be home. But he wasn't around when Mason was little. I know he missed the little guy and he was very anxious to be a part of Mason's life once he was back home.

Again, though, we were one of the lucky families. He didn't forego a honeymoon or miss the birth of his own child. But these incredible people give up all that and more for our security. I cannot begin to say how grateful I am for them. I'm equally grateful to the hospital personnel (who I believe are also enlisted, but I'm not sure) who stitch them back together when things don't go as planned.

I could go on about this forever and kind of already have. I feel silly joining the group by thanking them on Veterans Day when it's foremost in my mind more often than that. But today is a good day to start.