They will miss the
joy of the birth of their first child
They will miss
walking down the isle
They will miss
changing the first dirty diaper
They will miss the
companionship of their best friend
They will miss
their parent’s 50th wedding anniversary
They will miss
bragging over their child’s report card
They will miss the
unconditional love of a good dog
They will miss the
warm feeling of helping someone in need
They will miss the
satisfaction of the taste of a ripe tomato that they have grown
They will miss the
slap on the back from their boss for a job well done
They will miss the
taste of a good cup of coffee on a snowy Sunday morning
They will miss
reliving fond memories of just being near grandpa as a child
They will miss the
sight of a beautiful sunset alongside the love of their life
They will miss
their daughter’s first date
They will miss the
excitement in their child’s eyes on Christmas morning
They will miss the
first word
They will miss
Thanksgiving dinner with the family
They will miss the
gentle kiss on the cheek from grandma
They will miss
paying off the mortgage
They will miss
watching children playing in the park
They will miss
watching their son making the winning touchdown
They will miss
helping a friend through a life changing tragedy
They will miss the
relief of getting the all clear from their doctor after a scare
They will miss
enjoying the fruits of their labors that comes with retirement
They will miss
realizing how their love has grown as they grow older
They will miss LIFE
WHAT WE WILL MISS
THEM
WHAT WE WILL NOT
MISS
The simple and
complex experiences of life that we enjoy but take for granted daily.
For their ultimate sacrifice has made this possible and for that we must
be eternally grateful.
HOW SHOULD WE HONOR
THEM
By living our lives
to the fullest and to stop and “smell the roses” once in a while but never
forgetting our debt to our fallen patriots. By showing respect and tolerance for
all others now matter their origin or beliefs.
It is too late now to tell them how much we love them.
So when you see someone who has served tell him or her how much you
appreciate him or her. That is how
you honor all of our brave men and women who keep this country safe for us and
all that follow.
Joe M. Smith