On the 4th of July one year, I worked. This was usual for me, I actually signed up to work most holidays so I could get paid extra. Hey, ya do what you can when you're a starving student. What I didn't realize, though, was that every single staff member was required to work on the 4th of July. Also many of the family members were there. Initially I thought it was because we threw a little party for the veteran's and everyone needed to help. Then I found out what it was really all about. About mid-afternoon, some military men and women came from the nearby Fort Douglas to present the flag and sing the star-spangled banner. I quickly found out why the entire staff needed to be there. Every single one of those elderly, ailing men and women started to stand when the flag was presented. Almost all of them needed someone to help them stand. Many of them needed four to five people to help them stand. When the star stangled banner was presented and its song was sung, every single one of those veterans stood with pride, hands over their hearts, and their strong emotions apparent by the tears streaming down their faces. The man I was assisting was suffering from Alzheimer's. He usually didn't remember his own name, but he sang the national anthem, word for word. Amazing.
I am grateful for my country and my freedoms, but I don't think it is possible for me to love and appreciate those things in the way the Veterans do. They served, put their lives on the line, watched their friends die, all on behalf of their country, their freedom, and the freedom of others. They understand the price that has to be paid for freedom. I am grateful to all the veterans for their service, for their willingness to stand in the face of adversity to show their respect for the country and freedoms they love. And I'm grateful I was able to witness their devotion that day. The image is engrained in my memory.
7 comments:
Your story of the 4th of July brought tears to my eyes--not a hard thing to do, but still significant. It's amazing to see the love of country the older generations display. Hopefully, our generation can develop the same love and respect.
Thank you for your lovely tribute!! It was greatly appreciated.
{{HUGS}}
That brought a tear to my eyes. What an amazing thing to be a part of on that special day.
Thanks for the great tribute and for sharing your special memory.
What a beautiful and poignant memory! That had to be such a moving sight! I wish everyone could witness something like that...
Beautiful! Brings it all into perspective!
What a beautiful story! I am sad to think that such patriotism and honor may pass away with that generation who did so much for our freedoms. I wish we could somehow restore those feelings to our current society!!
What a touching Veterans Day post.
I use to work at University of Utah Hospital. (over 13 years ago) I worked in Nursing education dept. as a secretary. We lived in SLC for 16 mos. Still have friends from there.
Thanks for this sweet post.
Love,
Joy
Post a Comment