Today is Veterans Day in the United States, the first observation of the holiday since my husband retired after 35 years of service in our Air Force.

Last night our seven-year-old grandson, who lives half-way across the country, asked his dad if his Grandpa Lolo was a vegetarian.  Steven explained to him that although Grandpa watches what he eats, and limits his intake of red meat, he doesn’t exclude it, as a vegetarian would.  In response to that, our grandson said he meant “Is Grandpa a veterinarian?”  It was then that our son realized he had learned about Veterans Day in school, and he was asking if his Grandpa was a veteran.

When he learned that yes, his grandfather is a veteran, he asked if he could Skype him on Veterans Day to thank him for keeping our country safe.

Yes, Judah, Grandpa Lolo is a veteran…which doesn’t exclude him from being either vegetarian OR a veterinarian, but it does mean he did, indeed, spend his entire adult life keeping our country safe, which is something very good to learn about and should never be taken for granted.

Which is why, as a country, we celebrate this day every year….to thank those who have dedicated part of their lives to assure our freedom.  It isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day.

“A veteran is someone who, at one point in their life wrote a blank check made payable to “The United States of America,” for an amount up to and including their life.”

Let us never take for granted those who have done this freely and kudos to the teachers out there who are still teaching our children about those who serve our country.