Heroes - Who are they?

I had a goal to start blogging by the end of August. September 1st still counts as August - right?

I have been pondering the freedom that we enjoy and who the true heroes of today are. I took the kids to go to a Marine's homecoming yesterday that lost both legs and some fingers from and IED in the Middle East. You can watch it here and here (one of them you can even see us in the background). Very emotional and a humbling experience. There were many veterans there also. I just looked around and tried to imagine all the different experiences that all those veterans had - and they did it for complete strangers like me - and those that haven't even been born yet.

We have many heroes to look up to and you won't find them on stage or on the big screen or singing out of your radio. You find them in working in classrooms trying to help our future leaders despite the rules and regulations they have to work around. You see them in uniform going off leaving their family, friends and comforts to fight for their country. You see them at the stores with a tired smile and little ones running around asking for everything they see and screaming when they get a no. You see them in the community working hard and risking their lives as police, firefighteres, paramedics, etc to keep us safe. You see them in the children's hospitals as little angels fight for their lives with the sweetest smiles on their faces. Then there are many that you see that you may not realize they are heroes. They send their spouses off to fight for freedom across the globe and keep a smile on their face and their children busy with activities, but drop to their knees at night beside their beds and let their tears fall for God to wipe away. There are children that go to school and play on the playground but at home they are taking on more responsibilities than they should due to famiy dynamics. There are those with more years of experience that spend all of their waking moments taking care of their true love of 50 plus years and watch them as age, disease and disabilities take over their bodies. I have several heroes in my life. If I started naming them I know I would miss one, but you know who you are. They have helped shape me into the person I am today. I am thankful for all that they do for me and those around them.

I am also thankful for this country. We don't have it right all the time - and never really have, but it's a country we can fight for what we believe in and we can work to change things we don't like. Its a place where a poor boy born in a log cabin can hold the same office as someone born to a powerful, well known family. It's a place that we can worship how we feel we should in our homes. It's a place where hundreds have suffered, given all they have and even died because they believed so strongly in it. America is my home and I love her. I wish I could express the gratitude I feel for those like the Marine that came home yesterday and all of those that I know that have been deployed or are currently deployed. I'm also proud of a husband who has signed his name to take that same responsibility when the time comes.

As I'm typing this I'm listening to one of my playlist's and "American Soldier" by Toby Keith is playing. If you haven't heard this song, or haven't heard it for awhile you can see it here

I promise my posts won't all be sappy, but I just had to express this in some way. Keep your eyes open for the true heroes in your life and don't forget to thank them. Also, remember, when life is hard and you are pushing through and just feel you can't do it anymore - you are most likely some else's hero.

Sleep in peace tonight.