Thank You

To those who make the choice to give up their family, friends, loved ones and sometimes their lives to serve our country.

To people in the past, present and future who put themselves in harms way on a daily basis for us. Those who live in unknown countries and who are lonely and scared.

To those who go through an unimaginable experience in those countries, and then come home to flashbacks, horrible memories and people who question the very reason they fought for us.

To those who come back injured and who do not receive the medical services they deserve after serving our country.

To the people that fight for the rights that the rest of us take for granted.

To those that have given their lives for us. To those who have lost their loved ones to war.

To those that are so unselfish that they volunteer for the very things the rest of us live in fear of.

To those that give us freedom that we will never truly be appreciative enough of.

Thank you. Thank you more than you will ever know.

Hmm...

The big 3-0 is coming up. And I'm taking after Kristie and having difficulties with the number. (At least it's at 30, and not at 23!) I know I've done a lot with my life, and I'm proud of what I've done, how far I've come and the person that I am. But I can't help looking at that number. 30. 30! I think the trouble I have with it is that I'm going to be 30 and (most likely) single. I like single, single is fun. I live by myself, I have no one to answer to. No fights. No "put the seat down!" No one to try to tell me what to do. I like single, and 99% of the time, I'm perfectly OK with it. But not forever.

I guess I always thought that I'd be married and have kids, or at least think about having kids by 30. Obviously that's not happening. Which is OK...but there's not even the prospect of that right now, and that's what's scary. I think what scares me more is the kids part. I can't imagine life without having children. And yes, I'm sure I'm just overthinking everything and it'll all work out once I have more time to actually go out and meet people. But I find myself asking..."Self, would I have kids alone? Would I be a single mom?" And I think the answer is yes. Only because I feel SO strongly about having children. It hurts to hear people talk about their kids, to see the love they feel for their kids, and the love they return. It hurts to think I may not see a little one look back at me with my own eyes or nose or cheeks.

So dammit, 30! Why are you making me think all of these things?? :)