Memorial day...are you "earning it"?

While most just think of Memorial Day as just another day off of work and school, we are trying to actually let it sink in. I won’t lie, I often thought of Memorial Day as a great camping trip and BBQ. Having Robbie be a Veteran now twice over, I think that we have a bigger responsibility to actually honor those who came before and served. We started going to the Military cemetery a few years a go and putting flags and flowers on soldiers’ graves. It’s a small cemetery, and some soldiers’ graves are from the 1860’s. Looking at all of them it is hard not to feel humbled at what you are actually looking at. Lives that were sacrificed for MY freedom. Rob is now among the elite and smaller group of individuals these days who can call themselves Veterans. There is a bond that he talks about among the Brotherhood of Military men, one that most can’t understand. Rob asked if we could watch “Saving Private Ryan” to reflect on those who sacrificed. I was, as the first time I saw it, moved to tears from the first scene as the young men called out in pain and for their mothers. My own thoughts turned to my son and whether he would ever know war, and how I pray he will never have to be afraid like that. I wondered how these men had the courage to do what they did, and keep going when you felt like the world was caving in. Rob explained the immense amount of training that you go through in Basic training and how they prepare you for everything. But can anyone ever be prepared for war?

At the end of the movie, I noticed Rob crying (he will love that I'm writing this). There is a scene where the man who saved the private that he needs to “Earn it”. Earn the freedom and chance he got to live, while others didn’t. Rob said through deep introspection, “Am I earning it? So many people have died in war…why not me? Why was I protected? Why am I the lucky one”? The thought has often occurred to me how lucky we were to have Rob come back from war untouched. But he was more worried if he, too, had “Earned it”. While it is closer to home for one who has served or their loved one, shouldn’t we all think for just a second, have we “earned it”? Earned our right to be here with loved one, choosing professions, raising families with freedoms of religion and speech? Why are we so lucky? The answer is because of others sacrifice. What am I doing with that? Well, first off, I’m going to celebrate every holiday honoring our country and its service men. Still that isn’t enough really, is it? We should live to our potential that these freedoms offer, and feel grateful we have a choice. Whatever political stance you take, it shouldn’t matter whether or not you honor those who gave their all for you. Are you “earning it”?

On a side note of amazing things that we enjoy, Robbie finished his second year of medical school! Half way there!! We have the board examination at the end of June, and that’s the big kahuna. From there he just works like a dog at the hospital…but no more classes at least! He couldn’t have done it without the incredible help of his friends in school with him.

welcome Year 3!!

Unwinding after finals!