being a covenant woman, i understand the value of things that are purchased with blood. therefore i do not take lightly the freedoms i have in this country. i have the freedom to live where i choose, to speak my mind, and to worship God openly. i have the freedom to get any education i can afford or qualify for. i have the freedom to pursue my interests, live in any financial status i can achieve, and choose what i do for a living. i have the freedom to complain about the things i dont like, and make a stab at changing them if i feel so inclined. i even have the freedom to leave this country, if i chose to.

the blood that purchased these freedoms, and the blood that spills to defend them, is precious to me. and the families of those who shed that blood are precious to me.

though we set one day aside to honor those beloved soldiers nationally, as the mother of a marine i remember them all year long. i remember too, those who were wounded, and those who gave their time and their sweat away from their families, suffering the horrors and rigors of war, who came home but left something of themselves behind.

i may not speak of it much, but i carry them in my heart always.

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