It’s Veteran’s Day again, and time to stop to acknowledge Veterans and their families.  Veterans remain stationed around the world and the country, keeping us safe and often sacrificing their happiness and joy for our freedom.  They are missing anniversaries, birthdays, births, and even deaths of their family and friends to stand watch and serve our country. They can be at risk, in unfriendly territory, or helping to build a new community where war used to be.  They can be preparing for aggressors or fighting in the open for the lives of Americans and others.  The American military does whatever it needs to do at home and around the world.  On this one day a year, we honor them, but they should be honored every day of the year.

Much of my career was spent working with active-duty service members and their families, and I now work with Veterans often trying to put their lives back together.  I watched children and marriages suffer during deployments, and service members struggle coming home to a family that managed without them for long periods of time.  To serve our country, and protect our freedom, service members try to remain a part of their family but that is not easy, half a world away.  They try to make sure the family is set before they leave, but no one can predict the things might happen while they are gone.  Wives and husbands have to manage repairs while the member is deployed, as well as issues with children and extended family. It is never easy, but hopefully, the family can manage.

When the service member returns, they have to return to a family that functioned without them for usually many months.  They return to disrupt the family routine and try to find their place in the family again.  They have to manage what they may have experienced while they were deployed, including possible death and other events.  So many service members return with depression and anxiety around events while deployed.  Between possible changes in the family system and changes in the service member, their return can be a welcome event or a huge disaster.

Serving our country is often a thankless job.  Our service members don’t serve to get rich.  They are not serving to be famous.  They are serving because they were called to their country.  They believe in the job with their whole being.  They are proud to be a member of the armed forces in our country and they are honored to be a part of something that protects their family and other families around the county and around the world.

If you are a service member on this Veteran’s Day, active or retired, thank you for your service.  If you are a family member to a service member, thank you for your service as well. Your service to our country is appreciated, and important to our freedom and our future.  We are aware of your sacrifices.  I wish there was so much more that we could do to show you how amazing you are, but alas, only words will do for now. I hope you find peace and happiness, and support if you need it.  Honoring our service members will always be a part of being happy, for life.