Spontaneous Moments of Thankfulness

I've found from time to time that just sitting back and witnessing an event will trigger spontaneous moments of thankfulness.  Society in general is, in my opinion, not nearly as grateful as we could be.  We take for granted the things in everyday life without much thought or reflection on how lucky we are.  We carry on in our lives without saying thank you, without acknowledging the sacrifices of others, without a care in the worlds except that which is passing through our head at that moment in time.  Lately, I've been overcome with emotion at seemingly random times and then filled with thankfulness for the situation.

Not too long ago I attended a baby shower for one of my wife's childhood friends.  Thankfully this wasn't a traditional baby shower where unhealthy amounts of estrogen and an equally unhealthy lack of testosterone rulled the party.  The party was primarily couples that had come to celebrate.  This would typically be an easy place to find things to be thankful for: babies, children, parents, etc.  But instead, it hit me as I ventured out to the car to put my phone on charge.  On the windshield of pretty much every car there was a sticker.  It was those stickers that brought on this surge of feelings.  The stickers were all U.S. Government stickers, Department of Defense more specifically.  Even more specific than that they were all issued to identify the drivers of the vehicles were allowed access to Camp Lejune, the US Marine Corp base nearby.  I realized we were some of the only non-marines in attendance.  Furthermore, the baby shower wasn't just a baby shower, it was of sorts a deployment party for several of those in attendance, including the father-to-be.  He is scheduled for deployment a mere two weeks after he welcomes his son into the world.  That hit me and made me think about just how thankful I am for those that sacrifice so much to defend my freedom and to bring democracy across the globe.

To the men and women serving this great nation, I thank you for all that you do.  I thank you for your service to this country, I thank you for the sacrifices you make for strangers.  I thank the husbands, wives, and children here at home that lend their loved ones to our nation.  I say thank you to those that have given their lives and to those they have left behind, I behalf of a grateful citizen, I say thank you.