With a nephew who joined the Army and just left for boot camp, the 4^th of July takes on a renewed significance for me – just as it did fifteen years ago when my son joined the Marines, leaving for basic training shortly after his high school graduation.

Amidst all the 4^th of July picnics and parades, the flags and the fireworks, I try never to lose focus of what the holiday is really about. And the fight for our independence – that took place over 200 years ago – never hits closer to home than when a family member, here now in modern times, goes into the military.

My son signed up for the Marines shortly before the start of the war in Iraq, and he served two tours of duty there. It’s too soon to know yet where my nephew will serve or be stationed, but the possibility always exists that at some point he’ll be involved in an armed conflict.

I hope you’ll join me this holiday weekend – and throughout the rest of the year, for that matter – in praying for everyone in our Armed Forces, especially those who are far from home and who willingly put themselves in harm’s way in order to maintain and protect the life and the freedom we enjoy today.

July 5, 2019
©Betty Liedtke, 2019

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