In the introduction post to this blog, I explained that my posts would be funny and silly because life is serious enough already. However, today warrants a more serious tone.

Today is Memorial Day. It’s a time to remember those who have fallen while fighting for our freedom and for the freedom of those in other nations. It’s also a time for me to realize all that I take for granted every day.

While there are many more, I’ve narrowed those things down to five for the purpose of a short but meaningful post. I hope it comes out that way.

1.) My family of two adults and two children are all under the same roof every night.

2.) I live in a place where I can practice and even demonstrate my faith without fear of retaliation from my government.

3.) I have so many conveniences, including running water, heat, roads to drive on, and appliances that are all designed to make my life easier.

4.) I live in what I think is one of the most beautiful places in the country, if not the world.

5.) I can choose whether or not I want to honor those who sacrificed everything so I could have all the things that I take for granted. I could just take the long weekend and have a barbecue.

So to you who are American citizens, I hope you’ve taken a moment today to realize just how good we have it and to remember why we have it this good.