4
November
Encounters of a thankful heart
I’ve been privileged to cross the paths of several veterans, and each encounter over the years
stands statuesque in my mind – forever etched as
a plaque of gratitude in my heart.
In November 2014, I was approached by a
serviceman in full uniform at a Wal-Mart in Cumming, Georgia. My 2-year-old was pitching a fit
about wanting a bag of chips. The elderly man
came up and offered to buy her the chips she saw
at the checkout line kiosk, and though his offer
was polite, I declined and explained that I was trying to teach her an important life lesson.
What struck me about the man was that it
was near Christmas time; he was eating at the
Subway located in the Wal-Mart, dining with his
wife dressed in her Sunday finest – it seemed an
odd place to stage a fancy lunch date. I wondered
what their story was, and why he stepped away
from such an important lunch to offer assistance
to a mom he’d never met.
Another encounter I had was while training
for a half marathon in 2009. It was actually on the
Saturday after Veteran’s Day: I ran with a group
of about 20 others on a foggy morning down a
gravel path by the river. We had covered the first
three miles and were circling back single file when
we saw him.
He was running in full fatigues with his gear on
his back, clearly training for what we knew meant
certain deployment. One by one, quietly but determinedly, every runner in my group ran up to him
to say “thank you.”
In the middle of the pack, it seemed repetitive
by the time it was my turn. Still, what a privilege,
a small expression for someone whom I’d never
met and would likely never see again. But isn’t
that what our armed forces do every day? They go
to bat for people they’ll never meet, putting their
lives and their families’ livelihoods on the line.
Another encounter was in spring 2012. It was a
phone conversation with my father, a veteran who
served in Vietnam. He had battled PTSD and alcoholism quietly for years amidst relational failures
and nightmares of a war that his memories could
never escape. Though he found great success in
business, retirement hit him hard and finding
his purpose was tough. He occasionally spoke of
the best friend who never returned from the war
and wondered aloud what his service in the war
achieved. But up until his death, I made it a point
to call him every Veteran’s Day and thank him
for his service – no matter how he felt about it, he
needed to hear his sacrifices were appreciated.
Brooke Turbyfill
hono
veter
Captain Jennifer Queener, assistant CCM
secretary, shared her own example of gratitude and some ideas to expess your thanks
to veterans and their families this season.
“After a friend of mine had served 10
years in the Marines, three years in the Secret Service and a few more years as a special agent for our country, we were reconnected,” said Captain Queener.
“When I said, ‘I’m sure you get this a lot,
but I want to thank you for your service to
our country,’ I was astonished at his reply:
‘Actually, I rarely hear that. In fact, most of
those I serve and work with say the same.
Thank you.’”