Thank you

I was going to tell you about how tonight is my last night as a working mom. I was going to tell you about how we find out this week if Phil gets a fellowship and where/if we'll be moving in a year. I was going to do the hard work of thinking and writing deep thoughts about all of that, but I can't. Not on Memorial Day. Not on a day when we remember our veterans, remember people who have given so much to those of us who live as if we care so little.

Today's a day to remember those who have fought and fallen, those who have taken time away from family, friends, and comforts to stand for something greater than themselves. So, to Jason, who gave his life five years ago, to Pop-pop who is no longer with us, to Stuart, to Uncle Gordie and Uncle Rick, to Corey, to Whitney, to Manda, and to so many others, thank you. And to their families who made the sacrifice on the home front, thank you. You have played monumental roles in the mosaic of our country's freedom.

Those thank yous fall short, though. We have over 100, 000 homeless veterans in America and most kids today don't even have a reference for the kind of sacrifice these soldiers have offered. We have crazies who hold up offensive signs at military funerals. We have a long way to go to make our thank yous really mean something. But we've also preserved respect for the military in our country in some ways. I appreciate that we say the Pledge every morning at our school and make the students stand for it even if they don't recite it. I appreciate that flag burning is looked down upon. I appreciate the solemnity of the war memorials in Washington. I love seeing strangers stop veterans in an airport to thank them. We need more people like that.

"Thank you" falls short, but it's all I know to say, so thank you, thank you, thank you to the veterans and families who have preserved freedom for those of us who may never get to say thank you in person.