How amazing were those? I hope you’ve loved hearing the insight and perspective from each of those women as much as I did. They are powerful, beautiful and courageous. I was so blessed to get to speak with each of them. Thank you to Jodi, Ashley, Jessica, Hayley and Kara SO much for being a part of this series. You are carriers of an important message. Also I want to thank you, the readers, for reading and showing up to hear from these amazing women – it has been my heart from the start to honor them by letting their voice be heard in this way.

Take a moment to reflect on our life here in the United States. Big picture, politics aside, you’d have to admit that we live a very blessed, very rich life here. Our country is rich in opportunity, freedom, scenery, resources, knowledge, passion, diversity and creativity. As a whole we are a very prosperous nation.

Too often though, we get caught up in our bubble, forgetting that not everywhere in the world is like the USA. We take for granted the freedoms we enjoy and walk in each day. For example, the freedom to write (whether truth or slander). The freedom to speak (whether love and blessing or hate and cursing).

When I think about the courage those in our military and their families exhibit to exchange a comfortable life for one of sacrifice, my heart bursts deep and wide with gratitude. They put comfort and family on hold, go where they’re called, and miss out on many special moments on our behalf in the process. I’m fascinated by that devotion and courage, but it’s not only our service men and women who have to be courageous…it’s their people, their backbone, on the home front too, who in my opinion are just as brave, just as courageous, and just as honorable, because they are right there alongside them.

I’ve read a lot of World War II novels. When I read it’s almost as though I’m living it, I feel what they feel, hurt when they hurt, and celebrate when they celebrate. Did you know that there are very few WW2 veterans left? We are in a generation that really hasn’t experienced the pain and loss that those did in WW2 and Vietnam.

As a woman, I try to imagine being a wife of someone who went off to fight, and it puts a vice on my chest each time I think about it…I can’t begin to comprehend how that must’ve been for them. The strength they had to have to pull it together and to keep living, keep moving forward, to keep being positive…to not be frozen and helpless in worry and fear. Some of those women became nurses, some became pilots, some worked in factories, continue to raise their children, they did their part to make a difference while their husbands were away.

Their strength continues to blow me away. I honor those who have served AND their families, because however big or however small, they had an important role in my current reality and it’s because of them that I’m able to enjoy and walk in freedom.

Honor.

Are we a generation giving honor where it is due? Do we honor not only our service men and women and their families, but do we honor those older than us? Our parents? Our employers? Our boss? Our teachers? Our coach? Our spouse? Do we live a life of honor and respect, reverence towards others even if we don’t agree with or like them?

I worry about our upcoming generations. I worry that they are slowly losing a sense of what it means to honor others. We are starting to see a very selfish, self-serving, self-focused culture evolve. We want to be heard so badly that we try to silence everyone else. We want to be right so badly that we rip apart anyone who dares think differently. We want to be lifted up so badly that we don’t make time to lift anyone else around us in the process. We have become so distracted with our differences that we have forgotten how to treat people, and how to honor people, especially those who have gone before us.

Honor is sacrificial. Honor is selfless. Honor is loyalty. Honor is an attitude of service. Honor is a choice. It’s a privilege. Honor is respecting differences though we may not agree with them. Honor is doing the heroic when nobody sees it and doing it anyway. It’s laying down your life for others.

You know what honor is not? Honor…is not political. So the next time you see someone who is currently serving our country, formerly served our country, or one of their family members, please take a moment to honor them by saying thank you.