Brave Enough To Be Bliss

Chapter 6 — L est We Forget

“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please, but as the opportunity to do what is right.” Peter Marshall

When I took the ferry back from Mackinac Island in Michigan, I captured this photo. I had already noticed the symbolism within the view, but when a rainbow appeared, I knew I had to try to get a photo with that element included. I took about 40 photos before I found one that was just right. I wasn’t sure how I would use it, but it was just s o beautiful I couldn’t let the moment pass without having a photo to remind me of how I felt . I didn’t ever want to forget the overwhelming gratitude I felt for all the soldiers, and their loved ones, who have sacrificed so much for our freedom. It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about the pain, the loss, and the grief suffered by all affected in the history of our country through today. And yet, I am struck by how much we Americans take that for granted. Sure, we have a couple holidays, but every day there are things going on that we will never know about or understand. And we remain content believing we are entitled to freedom, not that it ’ s something to be grateful for each and every day we are fortunate enough to live in these United States of America.

I saw a post on LinkedIn by John B. Richardson IV, Major General in the U.S. Army, with a simple statement, "Lest we forget." He was sharing Dan Wilkinson's post, which included the following message and a video (the video link follows). "This is so powerful. For 11 months of the year, our Armed Forces get very little recognition. Yet generations of them have put their lives on the line for their country. Remembrance Day will be in the past soon. Poppies will be thrown away and our Servicemen and women will be forgotten again. But they continue to serve their country 365 days a year. All they ask is that when they leave, they receive recognition for their service." Dan Wilkinson I was shocked to see there were no comments on this post, so I wrote... "My sincere thanks to you and all who have served and are serving. I thought of you all as I got lucky and captured this photo recently. I loved the symbolism with the flag, water, lifeboats, and rainbow. To me, it represents that without your protection, we could easily “drown” (water), but you provide our safety (lifeboat), so we all get to enjoy life (the rainbow) and freedom (flag). Unfortunately, we civilians forget on a daily basis, or more likely are too scared to really think about it, and we take for granted the sacrifices we honestly know very little about. Thank you for sharing this video as it’s the kind of reminder we need on a regular basis to count our blessings, remember those who have served in the past, and take time right now to stop and thank those who serve today every chance we get."

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