Take care of our heroes

They have our backs. Who has theirs?

I’ve long thought about writing something that begins with the thought that two of my favorites words in the language are “safe” and “home”. Maybe it comes from being a mother. One of my ‘Mom sayings’ in raising my sons was “You can never be too safe,” usually spoken as a cautionary tagline on their way off somewhere. And when they were home, I ‘knew’ they were safe.

Baseball has a call for it…..’safe at home’! A run has been scored, in that case.

We are supposed to be safe at home. That was one of the early messages on the day of the Ft. Hood massacre last week, when one of the Army’s own opened fire on what we used to call his ‘compatriots’, though words have changed a lot these days. In the initial shock, everyone observed that troops fight in wars, and some of these men and women either killed or wounded by Maj. Nidal Hassan have served abroad in Iraq and/or Afghanistan. But they made it home. And others were still among loved ones before deploying, taking care of business at home, getting ready for battle to defend innocents against those who hold no value in human life.

Veteran’s Day honors those men and women who have served their country in the armed services over time. But every man and woman who currently serves, with each passing day, is a veteran of service for each moment and hour served, whether they lived through that day or not. Noble service, ready to lay down their lives for the liberty and rights and safety of others. No matter where those others call home. And in fact, so that they can safely call it home.

That’s my way of saying thanks, to those who have our backs. The world is a global village, and we’re looking out for each other. But Veteran’s Day is especially for those in the military services. May they all make their way safely home.