Happy July 4th Ahhh . . .  Happy July 4th.  This is my third favorite holiday, right behind Christmas and Thanksgiving.  I love to watch the fireworks blazing in the sky, time with family, and grilled food.  For me, there is just something about sitting around outside, eating my grilled burger, hot dog, and brat while waiting for the night sky to light up with Chinese lanterns and colored gun powder.  Unlike most people, I even like the smell of the fireworks.The 4th is a time to celebrate the birth of our country, but my mind always seems to wander to those who are not with us because they gave their lives for my freedoms.  The image to the right was originally of “An Unknown Soldier in Vietnam.”  This soldier was identified in 2002 as Larry Wayne Chaffin.  Chaffin made it home from Vietnam, but died at the age of 39. My thoughts tend to think about those, like Chaffin who had difficulty adjusting to civilian life and those who never made it home.  Many of our wonderful service men and women come home and are diagnosed with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.)  PTSD was not really heard of at that time, but today, we understand more about this mental disorder.

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While most of us love to hear the “loud boom” of the fireworks and see the brightly colored lights, many of our combat veterans with PTSD do not find this a glorious time.  It reminds them of war, and as the photo of Chaffin above reminds us, “War is hell.”  It reminds them of being bombed and of mortar shells being dropped on them and of death.  It reminds them of a time they would rather forget.

Our freedoms are paid for with blood.  Our right to gather peacefully and speak our minds and even drink alcohol are paid for by these wonderful men and women.  To quote the movie, “A Few Good Men,” these men, “. . . stand on a wall and say, ‘Nothing’s going to hurt you tonight, not on my watch.'”  Our freedoms are paid for with men and women who come home without their hands, feet, arms, and legs.  They are paid for with skin burns, scars, and handicaps.  They are paid for with mental disorders we are just now beginning to understand.  They are paid for with the lives of our young people as far back as our founding fathers.

No, our freedoms are far from free.  As a matter of fact, they are rather expensive!

So, this year as you celebrate the birth  of the United States of America, as you light off your fireworks, as you enjoy the time with your family, and you have your picnic, or cookout, take some time to thank a veteran.  Spend some time listening to their stories.  Learn about what they did in the service of their country and remember that this service was for you.  Ask them about the conditions during their service and about the family they left behind and how much they missed them.  Then spend some time and ask yourself if you would be able to do the same thing.  Ask yourself how hard it would be to come back and live a life without an arm or a leg.

When you are done, and have an appreciation for what they have done for you, shake their hand and thank them for their service.  Then, return to your own loved ones, give them the biggest hug you can muster, tell them how much you loved them, and enjoy the weekend with a better understanding of your freedoms!!

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 4th of July!!!

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR VETERANS!!!!

What are you doing on the 4th to remember those who risk their lives now and in the past for our freedom? Comment below. Make sure to save your own stories of freedom in a DIY Time Capsule, to pass on to your children and great grandchildren in the future. Get your own DIY Time Capsule here.

Making Milestone Moments Count,

– Mark