dear Dave,

Coming in today, I decided to get my post office errand out of the the way. Packing tape and pen in my bag, cumbersome box in my left hand, umbrella in my right hand, I trekked the long wet slippery leaf strew sidewalk up the hill to the post office.

Hmmm - the parking lot is empty, how strange.

It took me awhile to finally realize the post office was closed - VETERANS DAY. So I walked back to my car, defeated and kind of frustrated.

Driving to Starbucks, I was listening to stories about solders on the radio, and felt so much shame for being so incredibly out of touch. All the suffering, and bravery, and death. One author was talking about a soldier who lost both legs, most of both arms, and was severely burned. His ears, the tip of his nose, and his eyelids eventually had to be removed. He had to wear self misting goggles to keep his eyes from drying out. It's so gruesome and tragic I can't even stand it.

Thank you veterans for all that you have done. It's really impossible to thank them enough. But keeping them in my thoughts is a good first step.