Thank you! Thank you to all who have served, sacrificed, survived and died fighting as a member of the U.S. armed forces. While war is not the desired way to deal with conflict, it has been a necessary part of our history. Many have fought to overcome tyranny or oppression as well as fought to free those being persecuted and attacked. There are also those who don't go away but suffer during times of war. The families of those service men and women have their lives flipped upside down in times of war. I have recently been reminded of this impact. A friend, whose husband is a Marine Pilot, wrote on her blog about the impact of her husbands deployment on their kids. There countless numbers of family members who live each day in the tension of two worlds. They have the demands of day to day life mixed with the knowledge that their loved one is in harms way on foreign soil. They live for the day that loved one returns but also with the tension of knowing that there are no guarantees. My heart hurts for them as it hurts for my family. My daughter will return to the battle zone in three months and we will live in the tension between two worlds. So on this Memorial Weekend, be mindful of those who have fought and died, fought and lived, and those who fight with the awareness that their loved one is not yet home. Grateful people don't spend their time bemoaning and bickering what we can't change, but rather more aware of the sacrifice that gives us the ability to enjoy a holiday such as this. Many will go to cemeteries this weekend and honor, remember, and mourn the loss of loved ones. They won't get to celebrate a great barbecue. They will be more aware than ever the cost of war. Let's love them, sit with them, mourn with them, be part of their future so they know they are not alone. Isn't that a great way to celebrate a weekend such as this?