On this Veteran’s Day, I’m thinking with gratitude of the men and women who have served our country and those currently serving our country in the military.  I know we have several Veteran’s in our congregation, and I’m thinking especially of you.  Thank you for what you gave and give.

All I know of military life is what I’ve read or seen in the movies.  Coincidentally, the novel I’m reading now has a section that takes place during World War II.  Because I’ve never served myself I can only imagine the hardship, the boredom, the enduring friendships, the suffering, the disruption to families.  Like every human endeavor war contains heroism and tragedy.  A lot of it must feel bureaucratic and frustrating and meaningless.  Other parts must be terrifying and heartbreaking.  That’s a lot to ask someone else to go through on my behalf.  So my thanks is sincere.

In this season as we move away from holidays that ask us to remember and honor the dead, toward the Thanksgiving holiday that invites feelings of gratitude, Veteran’s Day is appropriately placed between, touching on and combining both.