Have you forgotten?

I think many times we get so wrapped up in our day to day lives that we forget those who have allowed us to do so. There are so many men and women who willingly serve our country and how often do we take the time to thank them? How often do you remember their constant service and the blessing it gives us without the reminder from an email or Veteran's Day? Those amazing people who serve now or have before had their lives change forever. They have seen things they should never have had to witness. They have made hard choices and they may have watched a loved "family" member die or be severely injured. Do we stop to think of that? Do we ever stop to realize their lives as they new them were destroyed and their is no going back for them? They wear such horrid wounds on a forever basis and I think we fail to remember those as well. I am grateful for those who have served bravely in the past and those who are currently serving. I am grateful to their families who have to live without them for the time they are deployed and for all the sacrifice their families make as well. I pray that all those who serve are safe and that they can come back home and find a way to cope with all those battle wounds. I do not envy them those hardships they carry and I don't know anyone who would want to take those from them and live with them. I do hope that they know there are many of us who do truly appreciate the freedoms and safety they allow us. We have lost to many service persons to those scares they carry and hope that we find a way to change that for those future men and women who come home. I want to shout a huge THANK YOU to each of those who kindly and bravely serve our country!