| We come from all over this great land, and
others have adopted our country as theirs from far beyond. As
the song goes we live from sea to shining sea, above the fruited
plains and in view of mountains of purple majesty. We come from
all walks of life. Our roles in society are many. We're
business men and women, we serve our communities, we work with
and for others and some are enjoying the fruits of their labor
in retirement. We own homes, farms, and businesses and have
favorite getaways. We've pursued the American Dream. To most
we're the neighbor next door.
So what sets us apart? Why are we
different? Our hearts are pained; we've learned to survive each
day, to carry an unspeakable yoke, to embrace this place in life
we've been given... We are the families of America's Fallen
Heroes. We are Gold Star families, carrying a burden many
don't wish upon another . . . Our sons and daughters at the
height of their lives gave the ultimate sacrifice for their
fellow man. They had hearts of gold! They understood the risk;
and yet, they accepted the responsibility of serving our nation
in time of war. Some look at it as duty to God, duty to our
flag, to their community and to a nation that had given them so
much. Some wanted to make an impact in the lives of others, to
give them a taste of the freedoms we so enjoy and to make a
difference. Others went to defend crimes against humanity, to
right unspeakable wrongs, to answer the call of our leaders.
They put aside self, to honor us, and yes they were the neighbor
next door.
If you sat with us at the local coffee
shop, you'd begin to understand just a little. You'd see a
distant look of the unknown, pride for the person our child
became. Almost without thinking you'd say you're sorry, and
than not know what else to say. Small talk seems so trite.
We'd pickup the conversation, in part to squelch the silence, in
part to share that unknown, to share that Fallen Hero you did
not know. They were everyday people, willing to step out to do
the extraordinary. Growing up they loved superheroes, they were
athletes, intellects, difference makers amongst their peers.
They had challenges, but through all odds overcame those
challenges. They could have been you or I, or even the neighbor
next door.
In the prime of their lives they understood
the meaning of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They
understood the true meaning of freedom and the need to be
counted as one who protected that freedom. They did not know
the pain that would endure through their loss, they could not
know. For if it was so easy to foretell the future they may not
have gone, they may not have risked all for you or I.
As parents we keep they're memories alive.
Through our pain we speak on their behalf. Some in support of
the effort they supported, and others against. That is our
right, a right that they and generations before and generations
to come will and have fought for. We honor them in other ways
too, through causes for youth, to support changes in laws, by
writing or speaking about them or in names to buildings or
streets. We cannot and must not forget, because to do so would
mean that what they gave was of no significance. And, they gave
it all, in life and now in death. After all they could be or
were the neighbor next door.
In closing consider this, do you know that
neighbor? Have you reached out your hand, raised it in a wave
or even just said a quick hello? In this “fast food” society
are we in such a race to get from point A to point B that we
don't know those in our neighborhood? Consider reaching out;
don't wait until a moment in time that you hear about the son or
daughter of a neighbor who gave their all, regardless of
religious, political or socio-economic standing. They dared to
be men and women, amongst men and women. To be a cut above, to
risk all . . . and yes they may have been the neighbor next
door. |
