How to Honor our Veterans during the Holidays
The chaos we call Christmas is a time of the year when people focus on family and celebration. Our veterans and active service men and women have served so that we could maintain our freedom to celebrate this and other holidays. Some carry scars, others carry memories. Several gave their lives. As we celebrate with our families during the holidays, we should always be mindful of what our veterans and soldiers have sacrificed. There are several ways to honor both soldiers and veterans alike.
Giving to others is one of the most profound ideals of Christmas. The most precious things we have to offer others is ourselves and our time. Visit a nursing home, rehabilitation center or Veterans Hospital. Take Christmas cards to pass out to the veterans who live there. Spend some time visiting with a few of them. Listen to their stories and share some of your own. The men and women you touch will make a lasting impression on your heart and you will give a smile and a sense of recognition to a soldier who may not have anyone else to visit them.
A veteran can be retired or active duty. Don't forget our service men and women who may have made a career of the military and are stationed far from home during the holidays. Check with your local military recruiting office. They can help you get in contact with people who well get cards and letters to those soldiers who are stationed at various bases all over the world. Sending a card to a deployed soldier will brighten their day and may be the first step in making a connection that will last for longer than just the holidays.
If you own a business or shop, take a small area of one wall and allow the families of service men and women, both active and retired, to place their pictures there. This is a visible reminder to all that these men and women have helped to ensure that we will continue to be able to worship and celebrate holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Our freedoms are intact because of their efforts and willingness to serve others.
Honoring our veterans and active military should not be restricted to Christmas or other holidays. During their time as an American soldier, they did not protect us one or two days a year. They were on active duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Whenever you see a veteran or soldier, remember to smile and wave. Offer a handshake or a hug. Honor them by acknowledging their ongoing gift to us. A gift that is given willingly all through the year.
