Da Goddess

Thank you!

Thanksgiving means a lot of different thing to different people. To some, it is a time to gather around the table with friends and family, share good company and food, and be thankful for what you have. For others, it is a time to get drunk, be obnoxious and generally raise 7 kinds of hell that will turn your relatives shades of purple every time they remember you passing out in the gravy boat. For still others, it is a time of giving. This Thanksgiving, my family and I headed to Disneyland with my mother-in-law.

Part one of this tale involves my family eating in a restaurant last night, after the in-laws had gone back to San Jose. As we are sitting there, a gentleman, a complete stranger, approached our table to ask me if I was in the military and if I had served in Iraq (I was wearing my old desert camouflage parka when I came in). I answered yes to both questions, at which point this gentleman thanked me for serving my country and asked if he could buy my family dinner to show his appreciation. I was touched by the offer, but declined. He went on to explain how much it meant to him that people in uniform sacrifice so much so that his kids can enjoy freedom to be and do anything they want.

Part two of this thanksgiving moment came after this man and his family left our table. It really touched me that my being in the service meant so much to someone that they would thank me out of the blue like that. I am used to people either not noticing, or taking it for granted that military members are there. For even one person to notice and take the time to say thank you for the times that I have had to leave my kids behind for months meant more to me than any medal or award that I have received since I enlisted 8 years ago.

So, to the gentleman who talked to me so briefly in Anaheim last night...thank you for the kind thought. It means the world to me.