In Remembrance of All

In July, I took a trip to Washington DC, courtesy of the irish lad and with a little help from monkey boy. We saw the National Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, several Smithonians, and not a few metro stations. The weather was hot and muggy and I had a blast.

We also saw some heart-rending tributes to those who've died as part of our national history - on 9/11, on 11/22, and on innumerable days of war.

But there was a moment, one, that stands out clearly in my mind. In the sweltering heat of a July afternoon, after spending hours walking around the largest military cemetery in the country, fatigued and with sweat pouring down his body, a man turns at the exit to face acres and acres of white tombstones and quietly speaks, "Thank you."

Thank you for reminding me, Zap, that we don't need to belong to a country to recognize that the fight for independence and freedom is universal, as are also the consequences.

Today, I remember and honor those who fought and lived and those who fought and died protecting the liberties that I so take for granted. May I never, ever forget that these things carry a very heavy price.