The first two weeks of November have been like no other year. The drama of the presidential election has made it almost impossible to think about anything else. With proponents from both parties spouting desperate reasons why the other candidate shouldn’t be elected, it was hard to find anything else to capture my attention.
On top of that, the first week of November was unseasonably warm; it really didn’t feel like fall at all. The leaves are falling off the trees without really even changing colors. The second week brought rain and cooler temperatures. The fall decorations that I put up finally feel right.
It is hard for me to believe that Thanksgiving is just 2 weeks away. We are planning a big family feast this year. I have some new recipes that I want to try. My pumpkin pie is going to be dairy and gluten free. And I am thinking about making some peanut butter cookies, too.
In my family, we all like to cook, and that makes for some pretty awesome meals. We started going old school a few years ago, making everything from scratch. It is really fun when the whole family gets involved. I will let you know how the planning goes.
Yesterday was Veterans Day. I don’t think most people pay much attention to it other than the Veterans Day sales, and maybe getting a day off of work. When I think of Veterans Day, I think of my dad who served in the Army Air Force in World War II.
He started in the Army but transferred to another division to become a paratrooper. Towards the end of the war he was injured in an electrical accident where he was one of just a couple of survivors.
My dad was pretty badly crippled by a terrible electric shock from powerlines they were working near. His recovery in the hospital was lengthy as he had to learn how to use his body again. He had to relearn everything, like walking and feeding himself.
That all took place years before I was born. My father got married late in life; he was 51 when he married and 53 when I was born. I never saw him in those years that he struggled to regain mobility. I would imagine that he had some pretty dark days wondering if he were ever going to be able to enjoy life again.
Some may have said that he was a confirmed bachelor. I think my Uncle John probably knew him best because they were living together when he met my mom. Born in 1916, he lived through the depression, and was the youngest of 13 kids. I know he saw some hard times.
He was needed to help support the family, so in 8th grade, he left school. When World War II started, he went off to support his country. The Army didn’t care what his education was, he was able-bodied, and that was good enough for them.
Initially, he didn’t have the prestigious job of paratrooper. In the Army he was a cook. That’s a pretty important job to feed the troops. But I guess he felt compelled to do more, so he became a paratrooper. That’s when he almost died.
When I was a kid, he never talked much about the war and the things that he saw and did. He didn’t boast and talk about how glorious it was to defend his country. He did what he was called to do (along with thousands of other men and women), and our country remained free.
When I became of age there was no doubt in my mind that I would join the military, as well. I got to choose which branch and what kind of a job I wanted; it’s a peace time luxury that my dad didn’t have. I chose electronics in the Air Force.
As an electronics technician, I supported the flying operations of my squadron. I learned discipline, responsibility, and respect for following orders even if I didn’t know why they were given. I thank God that I never saw any combat.
I am proud to say that I served our country; I don’t need to go to war to feel that way. If ever I had failed to do my job, lives could have been lost. There was no prestige to being in the military, but I met a lot of incredible people who all knew that we counted on each other to do our job so that we could accomplish the mission and go home at night.
I have great respect for the men and women who serve today because they could be called to war at any time. I actually know quite a few who have been; some still serve their country even though they have experienced the hardship of war. They have my admiration.
Thank you, veterans past and present, for the fact that I live in a free country, and that I had the right and the responsibility to vote for my next president and congressmen. Come what may, we will persevere; we will make the best of things. May our Commander-in-Chief feel the hand of God upon him.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
