Veterans' Day

Yesterday, Jon and I were driving past this lovely area in the town where I grew up. We passed a tremendous hill that I've only ever known as "Sled Hill." My mom never allowed us to sled there because of all the kids she'd see come into the hospital with broken bones from bouncing down Sled Hill each winter. We were so jealous of all the fun people without paranoid mothers had flying down that hill in their snowpants when we had to make do with the wimpy retention-pond ditch near our house.

Of course it's hardly time for sledding--the temperature was 68 degrees here with no snow in sight. But as Sled Hill came into sight, instead of grass we saw an army of crisp United States flags flapping in the wind. There was a small path in the center, and people were walking up the hill into the sea of red, white and blue. It was amazing, 2012 flags in all. Beautiful and majestic.

It's amazing how an image can stay with you forever and bring on such emotion. Thank you, service people of our military. For all that you have given and all that your families have sacrificed and all that you continue to do to to protect our freedom.