Gratitude By Mary Wroblewski

Gratitude cost us nothing but is a priceless gift. This November we celebrate Veterans Day on the 11th and Thanksgiving Day on the 23rd, two days where expression of gratitude is expected and generally the whole of our country will remember to show gratitude in spades.

On Veterans Day we honor all who have served and show thanks for the young men and women who were brave enough to stand up and serve our country and its mission to protect our homeland in whatever capacity they were ordered. Their service came at a high cost to themselves and their families, with many making the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country. For their commitment to duty, honor and country we are deeply grateful.

On Thanksgiving Day, we remember the first settlers of our country who sat down and broke bread with the Indigenous peoples of the area sharing what they had with one another in fragile peace. We, in America, typically spend Thanksgiving with family and friends sharing a meal steeped in tradition and showing great thanks for all of God’s blessings throughout this great country of ours as well as more personal blessings of faith, family, friends, a roof over our head and food on our table.

It is unlikely that we could continue to celebrate Thanksgiving Day without Veterans Day nor could we celebrate Veterans Day without Thanksgiving Day; for even in that time of camaraderie and brotherhood during early colonization of our country, it was recognized that a military presence was necessary to maintain that fragile peace, preserving it whenever possible without violence. The unfathomable sacrifice made by our military service members and their families to keep us safe, protected and free at home and abroad throughout the years has preserved for us, in these United States, life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness

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The lifestyle we enjoy today was attained through the blood, sweat and tears of all those who came before us. Please don’t allow the complacency and short sightedness that seems to have settled over our priorities blind us to what is best for us and those around us.

So, how about we put down our devices, tune out the noise of opinion and influence, and actively engage with one another. Remember what is most important: faith, family, freedom, love, people to share our love and life with, and finally, maybe most importantly, common sense to know what is right and true.

Be grateful for every day, and what comes with it, show compassion and kindness always, pray unceasingly, and BE the change you want to see in our country and our world.