The WordPress weekly photo challenge tends to knock around in my head for five or six days before my approach to it solidifies.  I often find it resolving immediately before the deadline, as if the seed of inspiration had been taking root and growing all week, suddenly bursting forth out of the soil just when I had given up hope of seeing it.

I wasn’t concerned about this week’s theme of minimalism, as my images often tend toward light and shadow. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when this image presented itself during a three hour layover at the Dallas/Fort Worth Airport yesterday.

Fifteen minutes later, while I was wondering between concourses, I came upon this.

I spent quite a bit of time here on the day before Veteran’s Day.  Absolutely everything was right about this display.  Each person represented was depicted in a military uniform and then again in their civilian life.  Many of them had notes attached from family, friends and fellow comrades in arms.  Everyone I encountered in this space was reverently silent, many of us had tears in our eyes.

I’ve spent the last thirty-five years of my life being a military spouse but I have never been as much aware of what our Veterans are willing to do for our country as I was during the hour I spent among these warriors.  I live among people who don’t think twice about this aspect of their lives.  That sacrifice has become so interwoven into the fabric of my life that I’m no longer cognizant of its immense significance.

There is nothing minimal about this sacrifice.

If you didn’t have the opportunity to participate in a ceremony on this Veteran’s Day, please take a moment to click on the photos in this slideshow and spend some of your day with a small sampling of all those who have paid the ultimate price for your freedom.

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And since today isn’t just about remembering the fallen, perhaps you can send a quick email or text message to someone who has been, or currently is, on active duty, to thank them for their service.