The morning light feels softer this time of year — a little slower, a little more sacred. The air carries the scent of woodsmoke and memory. November has a way of making us pause.

It’s the season of reflection — a time when gratitude rises to the surface like sunlight breaking through clouds. And among the many blessings we count, one stands eternal: the freedom we wake to every morning.

Freedom — that quiet, steady miracle we sometimes forget to notice — has never been free. It was earned in the dust and distance of foreign lands, on ships and bases and battlegrounds where brave souls stood between us and the dark.

Our Veterans — men and women of every generation — carried that burden so we could live in the light. They’ve missed birthdays and holidays, laughter and home-cooked meals, so we could wake to a world where our dreams are our own to chase.

To every Veteran, I say this with all my heart: thank you. 

Thank you for your courage, your discipline, and your faith in what this country can be.
Thank you for protecting not just our borders, but our everyday moments — our morning coffee, our books, our laughter, our chance to build something better.

As we gather with family and friends this season, may we do so with reverence. Let’s lift our glasses not just in celebration, but in remembrance — for every soldier who served, every family who waited, and every freedom we hold because of them.

Gratitude is more than a feeling. It’s a way of living — a choice to remember the cost of the peace we enjoy.

So today, as the flag ripples in the autumn wind, I whisper a prayer of thanks — for the hands that saluted it, the hearts that defended it, and the spirits that keep its promise alive.

To all Veterans — you are the guardians of our tomorrows.
And for that, we are forever thankful.

As a Veteran myself, I can only say I am humbled and honored to have given a part of my life to the freedoms we love.