Giving Thanks for Those Who Sacrificed

Today, I am blessed to share with you all a post by a fellow New Englander, grew up not too far from my hometown.  Author, Melissa Ann Goodwin, ponders the meaning of gratitude.  In thanks for her guest blog, I am promoting her new book, The Christmas Village AND, she is gifting one of my readers with a copy.  All you have to do is leave a comment below.

The Christmas Village is a wonderful holiday tale about a troubled boy and his adventures in finding himself.  All I can say is, you must read the book!  I am hooked and can't wait to find out what comes next. For a sneak peak, check out the trailer.

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I knew that I wanted this post to be about gratitude. It’s November, and it’s Thanksgiving, and remembering our blessings is at the forefront of our minds. I have so much to be thankful for, this year and always. But, how did I want to express that? Perhaps, I’d write a poem. Maybe, I’d find inspiration in some Thanksgiving quotes. My plan was to meditate on it a bit, open my eyes, and write.

As I drove home from teaching a yoga class this morning, dazzling sunlight reflected off the small white gravestones in the veteran’s cemetery across the highway. The cemetery covers an entire hill, row upon row of white markers cascading down its slopes. When I got home, I suggested to my husband that we drive over there, park the car and take a walk – something we’d been meaning to do.

Image via Wikipedia

  
As we headed up the hill, we noticed that the first section of stones all had the same year of death – 2001. The stones are simple and uniform in size. Engravings on them provided names, dates of birth and death, rank, branch of service and in what wars they served.

Looking out over row and after row was sobering. We walked quietly, occasionally commenting on a long life or a very short one. When it was a short one, we knew there was a good chance the person had died in service. Some of the veterans served during two or even three wars.

I was reminded of when I’d gone to Arlington National Cemetery, many years ago. It was a day like today, blue skies and sunny. We wandered through rows of similar white markers –though there are many more rows there. Suddenly, a red fox appeared – there – in the middle of these endless rows of white gravestones. Where on earth did he come from? I can still remember the juxtaposition of this beautiful fiery-red animal against the backdrop of a sea of white. He stared at us for a few seconds; then ran off. The moment seemed important, though I can’t say why.

When we returned home today, I knew that I just wanted to write some words about being grateful to everyone who has ever sacrificed to give me a better life. There are hundreds more veteran’s cemeteries like the one here in Santa Fe. So many people chose, or agreed, to serve to protect this country. To protect me. Thank you, all of you. Then, there are my parents, also gone now, who sacrificed for me in so many ways. Thank you, Mom and Dad. There are teachers who educated me, for far less income than their jobs deserved. Thank you, Miss Collins, Miss Noone, Miss Cronin, and all the rest.

The list goes on, endlessly, but you get the idea. Today, I just feel very grateful to all those who are gone now, who made my life better. And I am grateful for everyone, who is still here in physical body, who does that too. In my life, I have been loved and cared for. I have been granted much grace. So, this Thanksgiving, I’m keeping a special lookout for anyone in my life who might need that favor returned.

Don't forget to leave a comment for your chance to receive a copy of Melissa's book, The Christmas Village!

Melissa Ann Goodwin is a native New Englander, now living in Santa Fe, New Mexico with her husband, artist J. Richard Secor. She has written extensively for Fun for Kidz, Boys’ Quest and Hopscotch for Girls. She was a regular feature article contributor to the Caregiver's Home Companion for more than five years. Her work has appeared in Guideposts’ Angels on Earth, Caregivers’ Home Companion, Caring Today, The Lutheran Digest, The Peak Magazine, The Andover Townsman, and the Martha’s Vineyard Gazette. Her poetry took 10th prize in The Writer’s Digest 2010 annual competition. The Christmas Village is her first novel.

Author's Websites:

Melissa Ann Goodwin

http://writeryogini.blogspot.com/

The Christmas Village

http://thechristmasvillagebook.blogspot.com

FaceBook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Christmas-Village/243381569015162