A newspaper led off with an article about contemplating the “forgotten war” today. For many Americans, no war is ever forgotten.

How to pay tribute to the fallen when your own vet is away from home? Find a memorial, tell the story, pay tribute with your time and a token. I took the boys on a run this morning so I could tell Sam the story of Iwo Jima before arriving at the memorial. He shared his analogies between the battle for that tiny island and the courage a lobster had defending her home against an invader, something he’d seen on a BBC DVD over the weekend. As we arrived at the memorial, another party was gathering to pay tribute to lost Marines, members of 2/3. You may think the symbolism here is over the top or contrived, but it’s the truth. Just as I was kneeling to lay the plumerias we’d brought, tears came to my eyes unbidden as I remembered all the fallen over the many years our country has come to the aid of others. A light rain began to fall and washed away my tears, as well as the Jim Beam the guys had sprinkled from their flask over the bricks laid in memory of their buddies. I stood and tried to tell them how thankful we are for their sacrifice and that we continue to pray for them each night. I stumbled quite a bit as I tried to get these words out. The little group was gracious and thankful for our sentiments, then Sam said “Mom, why were you whimpering?” and everyone laughed. While I don’t feel like we do much at all to serve our country, in little things one can teach big lessons…such as remembering to honor the flag by putting it up each morning and taking it down each dusk. Sam carries the flag portion and Ben handles the pole. They are careful not to let it touch the ground. Kids ask the same questions over and over, and each time I explain why we do these things it offers a chance to reinforce and remind them in a tangible way what honor and respect means. We learn courage from some of our adventures, and from the stories we read at night, such as St. Francis, who had the courage to love the poor and sick. This morning Ben offered Sam and I a chance to show love even when we were annoyed…we took a deep breath in (gathering up God’s love) and then we both blew it out right onto Ben’s head, and you know what? As Ben’s little hairs stood on end in our “wind”, he stopped fussing and screeching, and smiled up at us 🙂 We’re not always able to act on the lessons we know well, but I pray that each day we have the grace to try. And if Sam ever decides to join the military, I know he will do that with a full understanding of the sacrifices made by those who came before, and the meaning of service. I’ll close with a thank you to Dave, for always serving without complaint despite the many sacrifices you make unbeknownst to most. You are a great example for us. We love you!