Freedom

It is a chilly November morning, the wind a gentle bite reminding me that winter is near. Election ads are finally off my television (praise be) and Thanksgiving is just a couple of weeks away. The only sound in the house today is the steady thrum of laundry going (an endless, thankless chore that keeps us all from smelling like a goat when we venture out in public). A quiet house, for me, often equates to a noisy mind, and today is no exception. Even though I haven't spoken about it, I've been thinking a lot the last several days about my life's connection to service of country. Of course, it's probably not a coincidence since Veteran's Day is tomorrow, but I know that's not the whole of it. I have spent my entire adult life connected to the military, first as a military wife and now as the mother of a Navy pilot. In large part, because of that, I am hyper aware of the state of our Nation, as well as the world. I'd like to think that even if I hadn't had such an intimate relationship with political issues that spilled over directly onto my daily life, I would have still stayed aware of a larger "picture" that's going on around me. Even as a child, I was never one to put my head in the sand and ignore the goings-on of the world rotating beneath and around me. It is often true that I would consciously attempt to blend in to the walls, careful never to draw too much attention to myself, lest I become a target of things that terrified me, but blending in isn't the same as completely checking out. Besides, it was always safer to know what storm was coming at me, rather than have it blindside me in the dark.  

In all of that, I remember...I have saved myself from some pretty dark places, and my record for doing so is 100%. There will be more dark places on the road ahead, but I have found my feet, found my voice, slayed or learned to embrace my demons. I have been able to do all of these things, in part, because I was born with a deep belief in freedom. And if I think about it, I can find an endless supply of examples that freedom is hardwired into every child born of this Earth. A toddler learning to walk, a teenager bucking restrictions and restraints, that fearless quality to which almost all little ones apply to the world in front of them. And while freedom is not found in every core political belief system around the world, it still is pervasive in every child from every corner of the globe. 

There comes a point, however, if you're paying attention to the people, places, and things "outside of  yourself", when you realize that freedom comes with consequences. The freedom to say and do as you please, speak whatever pops into your mind at any point, to any and everyone, these things come with a cost. Then it becomes a game of measured choices. It is at that moment of realization where one begins to truly understand the sheer responsibility of freedom. How do we nurture and care for it, while maintaining a position of kindness and respect for others? Because let's be clear...if anyone and everyone was "free" to do anything and everything that crossed their minds, we'd live in a world of complete and utter chaos. "Your" freedoms and "mine" could quite literally destroy us both in the process of their respective executions (like, for example, your freedom to own a weapon of war, shoot anyone or anything you wished thereby creating your own real-life video game, while me and mine were on your "list", or simply "in your way").

On this windy, cold November morning, the day before Veteran's Day...I am thankful for those who are in the service of others, even when doing so is complicated. I am thankful for those who value and protect "freedom", even as they measure their own thoughts, deeds, and actions. I am sad for those who remain oppressed by poverty, or circumstance, or indifference. And I am happy for this loving, crazy, messy life I'm living, that's not all "perfect", but gives me the freedom every day to just be myself without fear or apology. 

And to all Veterans everywhere (as well as those who support you), thank you. Respectfully yours...

Love,
A.