So Easy to Say Thanks

I've been thinking a lot the past few days leading up to Veteran's Day about what it means to celebrate all that those who have served and what their (and their families') sacrifices have meant to our nation.

You see, it's so easy to say thank you these days. Easy to post a status on Facebook, tweet 140 characters to remind your followers what Monday, November 12, 2012 is, Instagram a photo of a flag and caption it with a simple "thank you." It's easy to say an anonymous thank you. Easy to make a public statement of something that you should say. But how many people, after they've made that now-considered-to-be-obligatory post, actually feel the sentiment they've voiced?

How much do those words (and in fact, these words of mine as well) actually mean to someone who has served? How much does a written thank you mean to someone who is now disabled - physically or mentally or emotionally - or to the family members of a service man or woman who lost their life?

Where are the actions that used to accompany those thank yous? Where are the personal, face-to-face thank yous? In our present age of technology giving money is as simple as a thank you post, but how many people take a little of what they have to give to those who have volunteered to give so much more than money? How many people have volunteered at their local veteran's association or a soup kitchen that caters to retired service personal? To be real, how many of us have actually in person (or, in voice, if by phone is as close as they can get) thanked the service men or women in our own lives?

Source: Uploaded by user via Hope on Pinterest

And I'm not here to take some sort of moral high-ground on the subject, because I'm just as guilty as everyone else of this. I actually didn't make a facebook post today, because it felt like something I was expected to do by virtue of being an American. This is me, trying to turn a new leaf and do something instead of trying to look like I'm doing something.

But, just in case:

Happy Veteran's Day Everyone!

Especially you DAD and Uncle Bobby.