My husband & I like to go out to breakfast sometimes and we go to a little bagel place nearby. A lot of elderly people go there as well. One elderly gentleman we see there always wears a World War II Veteran baseball cap. Today, he was right behind us at the register when we went to pay our bill. I turned to him and thanked him for his service to our country. He replied, in a strong voice which belied his frail appearance, ” And I want to thank you. I appreciate it. Not many people say it.” I admit, this was the first time I had done so , but to hear that man say that not many people say thank you made me sad

Veterans deserve our gratitude and so much more. They fought for our country while sacrificing so much, sometimes even their lives. They spent countless time away from their families, not knowing if or when they’d be coming home. They sometimes lived and fought in less than sanitary conditions, opening themselves up to all kinds of disease, and injury. They gave up so much to fight for our freedom. The least we can do is show them how much we appreciate the sacrifices they made.

As we walked out of the bagel place this morning, my husband said that I might have made the elderly gentleman’s day. All I know is thanking this gentleman for his service to our country left me with a feeling I can’t describe. I only hope that I left him feeling good and maybe even made his day a little brighter. It just goes to show, a simple ” Thank You,” really does mean so much.