05/28/2018
I woke up feeling proud.
I woke up this morning, I believe, more aware than ever before ... of the vastness of sacrifice, honor, courage, love and commitment preceding the creation of this post you are reading. Those selfless contributions you see, by the men and women who chose to protect my ability to write this post, your right to read it and anyone else's prerogative to judge it .... those selfless contributions were not mine.
I woke up feeling grateful.
I laid in bed a full hour ( likely more) ... thinking how privileged I must be to do so. Thinking of all the lives willingly dedicated, committed and lost .. to preserve my privilege of lying in bed... until I chose to get up.
I woke up feeling ashamed.
I laid there thinking of what this day is all about and how I never quite appreciated the significance of it's importance ashamed for not taking time to acknowledge the people who gave their very lives... so that I could take the one day honoring them for granted.
I woke up feeling proud of each and every one of them.
For every life given, for every time a solider lost limb, took a bullet or sacrificed his or her well being or life to protect and preserve my freedom, my right to feel any of these things ... or not. I felt pride for their courage. I felt respect for their honor. I felt strength in their resilience and I felt love for my country.
For those who have protected our nation, those still standing, and those whom have fallen .... I honor you. I appreciate you, I appreciate you and I love you.
Your efforts and loss will never be in vain .. we are and will still be here.
Thanks to you!
-Andre Trotter
one of the many you fought for.
