I am ever grateful to veterans, which makes Memorial Day all-the-more-sweet. I am privileged to have had ancestors serve this country. I know their names. I never met them, but I love and honor them — they helped to forge this country into the institution of Freedom it is today. This day is to remember those who have gone before, ESPECIALLY in the pursuit of serving and defending this country.
I am grateful to the revolutionary war soldiers that served, because this country was just a territory, a holding. They had this crazy idea that all [men] could be free. They risked death at the hands of the King’s army of an empire that had been around for centuries.
I am grateful to my ancestor that rode with the Union Army under General Sherman. Maybe the burning of Atlanta was a bit over-the-top, but it DID make a statement: we are going to burn it to the ground, then build it back up TOGETHER. We were a country unified and we would not be divided. They were still our brethren. Abraham Lincoln was so passionate about keeping this country together, he justified the Civil War by stating, “the probability that we may fail in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause we believe to be just.” Unity was justified! Freedom secured!
My great-grandfather Cecil served in WWI and saw many friends blown to bits and dying in agony. The poor man, in his service, witnessed many unspeakable horrors. He was a functional alcoholic, to drink away his demons, but was still able to provide for his family. My great-grandmother was such a temperate woman, she had a separate bedroom from him because she didn’t like his drinking. He sacrificed even his marriage, in the service of his country. They never physically divorced, but I believe that after a while, he gave up and passed away.
So you see, Freedom isn’t free. It cost so very much: limbs, mentality, marriages, lives. We have the ability to say what we want, without fear of reprisal. I can post my Blog (safely, for me, of course) to help others who struggle. I do this so that no victims or survivors ever feel alone. It’s my freedom and right to do so, even more now that I am out of an abusive relationship!
May you be relaxing while you are off this holiday, but please be silently thankful. Be blessed! <3