It's "that time of year" again...

So begins the week of Thanksgiving. The hustle and bustle of the cherished American past-time is in full swing. Families have piled grocery carts full of fifteen pound turkeys with all the trimmings. Homes are adorned with the warm hues of autumn and gentle melodies treasured from bygone days. Guests are hastily ushered inside to enjoy hot cups of cider in front of crackling wood fires. Football games-amateur and professional alike-are played on snow-covered fields. Parades rule the morning television schedules and the echoes of familial laughter can be heard from every corner of the country.

Thousands of Americans will not enjoy the festivities of the holidays this year. Many will spend hour upon monotonous hour in guard towers or leaky tents. Others will be ordered to patrol towns searching for insurgents and IEDs. Some civilians argue that "this is what these men and women signed up for" and there should be no complaints. What needs to be understood is that, if our soldiers, sailors, marines and airmen do not complete these tasks before them, no one will! If every international discrepancy were to be solved by peace talks and money (that, incidentally, America does not have), the world would have no need for wars.

My wish is that people will learn to appreciate the sacrifices that our military (and our allies) makes on a daily basis and remember that if it weren't for them, there would be no Thanksgiving turkey or familial laughter. To all the nay-sayers and war protesters- please keep in mind that, if these other people did not sacrifice so much for you, you wouldn't have the ability to freely march down the streets of New York and San Fransisco with peace signs and anti-military words on your ungrateful lips.

Thank you to all our service men (and women) for their selfless sacrifice.

And a special "Thank you" to my wonderful husband whom I miss so so much. I love you, Ben, and I pray that you return to me quickly and safely. Thank you for being so wonderful.