Veteran's Day

As we drive to work, shop, enjoy each other's company today, let us take a moment or more to thank all those men and women before us and present who have unselfishly protected this country for the sake of freedom and the persuit of happiness.

I proudly could be called a "retired" military brat. My mother remarried when I was 12 to a wonderful man we fondly called "Sam". That was not his given name by his parents but by my sisters and I for the man who came into our lives and was in the military. Remember Uncle Sam wants YOU! campaign and posters? That is how Carl became Sam. He graduated from the Naval Academy and served in the United States Navy most of his career - there was a short stint in the Army before the Naval Academy. He served through the Korean War and Vietnam. Though he was not always physically there as he served his country, he was there for us. He passed away 13 years ago from prostate cancer, but I will always remember how proud he was to be in the Navy. We saw a part of the military life both wonderful and sad that has been an experience of a life time. .

Last year, I met a wonderful woman who was in the store visiting her hometown of Natick. She was a military naval nurse veteran of WWII and the Korean War. Her stories were fascinating. Just six weeks ago I met a amazing woman who was an army nurse during the Vietnam War. She spoke one evening, sitting in the store, just the two of us about the war and over 40 years later, still shed a tear for those she was not able to save. My brother in law now also serves in the military and has been to Afghanistan and Iraq many times. Let's be proud of our "soldiers". We salute you all.

There is a parade to honor the veterans today in Natick, I am presuming, because there are "no parking" bags over the meters this morning as I arrived. We are still open and do know you can park in the parking lot at the end of our building.