This morning, I headed off to work with the usual “life’s problems” rattling through my mind. But as I pulled my car out of our garage, I caught sight of little American flags stuck into the ground on the other side of the iron fence that runs along the driveway. Our property backs up to Annex D of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. Each Memorial Day, the graves are marked with thousands of American flags lovingly placed to honor our fallen soldiers. At that moment, it struck me.

Many of the soldiers buried in that cemetery died young – 22, 21, 18… They never had a chance to have the little annoyances of everyday 32-year-old life. They had dreams and plans just like I do, but they never had a chance to pursue them. Perhaps it is a strange way to think of their sacrifice, but it really helped me today. It was a gentle dose of perspective, and it actually made me thankful for the annoyances of life that I am blessed to experience.

To all our veterans and especially their comrades who fell and never experienced their futures, Thank You.