Although yesterday was Veteran’s Day, many of us are observing the occasion today. To me, this is one of the most important “holidays” in the year–a chance to say a heartfelt THANK YOU to all the brave men and women, past and present, who have preserved our rights, often with their own blood, sweat, toil and tears. Each soldier sacrifices so much–time with children and wives and husbands, mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters, friends. They miss Christmases and Thanksgivings, birthdays and weddings and funerals–mainly so the rest of us can be present for such occasions. So, whenever you see a soldier, tell them thanks. If you’re in a position to do so, pick up their check in restaurants, or pay for their coffee if they’re behind you in a line at Starbucks. It’s the least we can do.
That said, on to describing my weekend. It was a lively one.
On Saturday morning, Jeremy and Wendy picked me up, and we headed out to meet Wendy’s Aunt Karen for lunch, with plans to visit Costco afterward. (There was a method to my madness; I wanted help carrying in all that stuff. :)) Before we got there, though, we saw a car hit a man on a bicycle–thank heaven Jeremy was driving and reacted quickly, because the whole thing could have been a lot worse than it was. We called 911 and are all hoping for the best; the man was up and walking around, but I think he was definitely in shock. I know I was! My nerves were pretty jangled for the rest of the day. That sound, and the image of the cyclist rolling off the hood of the car will be with me for a long time.
After lunch with Karen, we went on to Costco, despite warnings that the place would be a ZOO on a Saturday afternoon, especially with Thanksgiving approaching. Undaunted, we forged ahead–but not before I completely lost it while we were waiting (forever) for a woman to pull out of a parking space. I said nothing to the woman, but I used a few choice words, being tired and impatient. I soon regretted it, and prayed for forgiveness. Confrontation or none, I believe words have actual power–that they go out there into the world and DO things, for better or for worse. And I certainly didn’t want my cranky words doing damage–I’m a believer in putting positive things out there, loving words, gentle words, encouraging words. While I have no doubt that God forgave me, I wonder if outbursts can be called back or undone. Maybe not. And that’s a sobering thought, isn’t it?
Oh, and P.S., my cousin Mary Ann was right. Costco WAS a zoo.
🙂 We live, we learn. Hopefully.
About Linda
The daughter of a town marshal, Linda Lael Miller is a #1 New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of more than 100 historical and contemporary novels, most of which reflect her love of the West.
Raised in Northport, Washington, Linda pursued her wanderlust, living in London and Arizona and traveling the world before returning to the state of her birth to settle down on a horse property outside Spokane.
