Thankful for a Price Unknown

To all who have defended our freedoms domestically or abroad; to all who have guarded our coasts, rebuilt levees, protected our homeland, or proudly marched colors down Main Street or side street; to all who have left home, family, friends, and familiar for training or mission; to all who are among the civilian world, serving in reserve, ready at a moment’s notice; to all who have ever followed an order not completely agreed with, or issued one; to all who cannot, or hope never to need to speak of their experience and service again; to all who have lost components of their own lives in the defense of others’; to all who have returned home happy and contemplate redeployment because the call of arms is still strong; to all families whose heroes returned only to be laid to permanent rest, or did not return at all; and for all those who have gone before, placing their own lives at risks that the rest of us will never understand so that we wouldn’t ever have to, this Memorial Day, you are appreciated. We salute you, and pray for you and yours.

Thank you for what you have lived, what you have lost, and what you have secured for all of us.

Enter Year 38

There are days that seem to have no end, where exceptional efforts seem to go unnoticed and feel grossly under-appreciated, where nothing seems fun, and relaxation happens only as a short-lived descent from high stress to [very short] sleep (as my Monday was this week).

Then there are days like today that seem to be wall-to-wall relaxation with no external pressures (though in some spots I bore quite a heavy load on my shoulders – literally, e.g. five rep sets front squatting 185 lb), surrounded by friends and appreciated by so many that I wonder what favor I may have done the world to deserve all the love I received today.

Global greetings, some from the future (Vietnam, Australia, London), others from the past (California, Hawaii, Arizona, Nevada), and a whole lot from the present poured in all day long, many accompanied by smiles, handshakes, and hugs. Reports of great things happening all around and the bright light of hope being shared with various communities made it an unbeatable today.

Thank you to all my friends, all my family, all those who look up to me and all those to whom I look up for making day 1 of year 38 quite an amazing adventure (though I chose it to be and appreciated it as quite the “ordinary” Saturday).

There are great things heading this way. Great things indeed!

Starting gate 38 has opened and I’m off to the races once again!