A friend of mine relayed a story that sadly highlights this. A veteran friend of hers, when she thanked him for his service, told her he’d quietly held a social experiment years ago. He donned his veteran ball cap, and planned to wear it every day until someone, anyone, noticed it and thanked him for his service. He never expected the result: It was over 10 years before someone finally did. He added that he was surprised the ones to finally end the experiment were a young couple. He’d always expected someone older.
This small story pales in comparison to the things many veterans face when returning. But it does go to show how even the simplest of gratitude can mean so much. For me, I feel I get my thanks every single day. That’s because it was through my service in the U.S. Navy that I met my beautiful wife. I was in Hawaii as a Navy journalist, and Jenny had decided to treat herself to a trip. At the very last minute, I received the assignment to cover a military luau. Jenny had been invited to attend with friends, and when I saw her, I was instantly head over heels. Fortunately for me, Jenny participated in learning to hula, giving me the excuse to talk to her with my “sailor journalist” hat on. I wasn’t suave at all, but deeply blessed that Jenny was gracious and gave me a chance. We’ve now been happily married for 20 years.
Let us, here at SavingsAngel, be the first to say THANK YOU this Veteran’s Day season to all those who are serving or who have ever served. We are forever grateful!