50+ Lifestyles

Let’s Remember to Give Thanks

By David W. Deuth, CFSP
President, Weerts Funeral Home

Believing in the promise of a better life in a new land with a new form of government, a group of like-minded people came together and took the chance to separate from the Church of England. They set out to cross the ocean in pursuit of freedom.

They took a chance.

The way was treacherous and the perils were great. But they persevered. They believed in their purpose…and their goal. And when they reached their destination, they did something important: they recognized that they were blessed.

And they gave thanks.

The colony became a nation, built upon the precepts of freedom and liberty and justice for all. Many times through the years, these precepts have been challenged. And, as many times, these precepts have been defended.

Following the signing of the armistice that ultimately led to the end of World War I, President Woodrow Wilson in 1919 proclaimed November 11th as “Armistice Day”, a national holiday set aside to honor the price of peace and freedom for our nation. Not until 1954 would this day become officially regarded as Veterans Day.

“To us in America”, President Wilson stated, “the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.”

Nearly a century later, may it continue to be so.

This year, as we pause to recognize Veterans Day and Thanksgiving Day, let’s do something important: let’s recognize that we are still free. Let’s recognize that others have protected and defended that freedom at a tremendous cost. Let’s remember that freedom isn’t free.

Let also us recognize that we are blessed. And let us pause and give thanks.

Let us always Remember Well.