We have much to be grateful for and so many to appreciate. On this Memorial Day of 2017, I thank my Dad, my Uncle Dom, and my Uncle Roddie (who I never met because he gave his life for his country before I was born.) I appreciate all of the sacrifices you made for us. Dad left the earth in 2008, Uncle Dom in 1981, and Roddie in 1945. I still miss them.
Putting it in Perspective
When I think of daily challenges and how occasionally, I let them get the best of me, I’ll find myself on the pity-pot. A minute of two later some kind of hard reality (smart-phone-blasting- TV, radio, breaking news, a friend’s “did you hear about..?”) will hit me and I KNOW I’ve got it good! I know that gratitude should rule my attitude because so many aren’t as fortunate. On this Memorial Day every hospital in our community has abundant examples of people who have real problems and our depressed neighborhoods don’t have the block parties of my youth, either. Then, there are the casualties of war – those people who sacrifice their lives through no choice of their own but sacrifice they did.
Let’s get back to our Veterans. There are a lot of organizations set up to assist veterans and I’m sure, like me- you want to know the money you donate on their behalf is getting to the veterans themselves! There are many targeted programs to assist veterans; I haven’t done recent research beyond our own choice, so I can’t speak to which are best. Do your own research so you will confident in your charitable giving.
What I do advocate is choosing those who earn great marks from one of the premier charity watch-groups: CHARITY NAVIGATOR. Follow the link to use the white and green search box to find a charity if you know the name OR use a keyword like “veterans” to find a whole bunch of them. Check out this result with over 1000 veteran-related charities! Now, tell me -doesn’t this encourage you to make sure your donations are getting in the right hands?
Memorial Day is the perfect time to contribute to organizations with which you have a special affinity. Generosity in honor of a loved one toward any organization is one hell of a tribute.
For interesting reading about the sacrifices Veterans have made over the years, here are some links to articles I found.
http://www.historynet.com/names-on-the-wall-a-closer-look-at-those-who-died-in-vietnam.htm
Los Angeles Times The Number of Americans Who Have Died in Battle Since the Revolutionary War
The Washington Post The Countries that Suffered the Most During World War II
NPR “Thanks” might not be the right words to share with a Veteran on this day. A timely reminder that here in the U.S., we celebrate two separate holidays for a reason.
