Saturday, December 19, 2009

A Moment To Remember

Had to stop by Wally-World aka Wal-Mart to get some food for the pooches. I really should be getting a statement in the mail soon telling me how the stock I must surely own by now is doing.

While there I remembered I needed Almond Extract for some more cookies I have to make tomorrow so I trucked off to that part of the store.

As I came down the isle I noticed a woman about my age standing there and her mother or Grandmother was pushing the basket and attempting to turn it around in the isle. The woman looked up at me and apologized and I told her not to worry to take her time. Her mother/grandmother got the basket turned and they walked past me and we all smiled at each other. I took about 5 steps and stopped and turned and said "service member". The woman my age turned and looked at me and said Yes?

I left my basket where it was and walked up to her and asked if she was serving. She said no, but she was retired Navy. She asked how I knew and I said your flag pin on your jacket. I told her my father served on the Midway and my step-son had been a medic and that my husband was in the Guard. She looked at her mother/grandmother and back at me and said "I worked on Torpedos." I looked at her and said "That makes you family." Her mother/grandmother was staring at me like I had lost my head so I explained that I just wanted to thank her for her service and to wish her a Happy Holiday and hadn't meant to take up their time. When I looked back at the woman she had a tear running down her face. Don't you know I wasn't on the hankie isle. We smiled at each other and she said thank you and I told her she was welcome and we both went on our way. And....yes I had tears running down my face the whole way down the isle.

Never take for granted the freedoms we have and the people in the past, present and future that protect those freedoms. And don't wait till a patriotic day to tell them Thank You.

Needless to say, today is a day that will stay in the memory banks forever.


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