Veteran's Day

As I talked to my mom the other day, she expressed how appalled she was that Utah doesn't observe Veteran's Day across the board. The banks are still closed and we may not get our mail, but the rest of us continue on as if it were just an average day.

This could be because we have a fall break, or maybe it's a choice of Utah to observe Pioneer Day instead. Either way, we're missing out on the purpose of a vital holiday in our nation.

I challenge everyone to do something this Veteran's Day to make it a real holiday (especially my friends in Utah!).

My mom mentioned that she is writing to all the Soldiers she knows today.

Her class is leading the school in their annual drive for care packages. Soon they'll gather all the items students have brought and send hundreds and hundreds of packages to different units who are so faithfully serving in Iraq or Afghanistan.

One thought I had this morning was from a book I read this summer on WWII. An army man commented that even though they were paid no one would let them spend their money while on leave. Broadway shows were shockingly discounted for our troops, meals were free, and no one let them leave a shop without some token of appreciation.

As I went into the dining area, I noticed a Soldier getting his breakfast and thought about that quote I'd read. Before going in, I went up to the cashier and handed her some money. "I want to pay for the man in uniform," I told her, then went to get my drink.

I hope that we can get to the point that our military men and women are treated with the respect and honor they deserve! I can't thank them enough for the sacrifices they are making for me so that I can live in a country where I can freely choose who I want to be, where I want to go and what I want to do with my life.

Thank you again, and may you have God's protection.

Marie