Oh so very true! I've been on that cheery side of the table and wanted to take every one of those faces home. I think of my dad, just turned 20 in the fall of 1941, eating Thanksgiving dinner onboard the ship taking him to Pearl Harbor. No one knowing Christmas would not come as planned that year.
I'm grateful for your voice & perspective Charlotte!
Jonel, it's so strange the perspective on family that comes with being in the military. On every level, it truly reshapes how one thinks about community. I'm grateful for your father's service, and moreover, I'm thankful for your kind words. <3
You have such an earnest way of providing perspective and opening the door for empathy. I really appreciate how you share your gifts. Thank you, and gratitude and grace to all others who serve, past and present.
Thank you, Charlotte, for your service. My grandfathers, my step-grandfather, my father, my uncle, and so many others also served & missed home. I am ever-thankful for the sacrifices made by you & all our service members keeping our country safe. Thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all USian celebrants, no matter where and in what circumstances you may find yourselves. And thanks to all those serving your country abroad - whether in the military or foreign and attached services - and their families.
I truly appreciate your perspective on this. It makes me even more reflective regarding the sacrifices that you, my father & so many others have endured. You are such a gifted writer. Thank you, once again.
I'll never forget getting a phone call 54 years ago from a friend of mine who had recently enlisted in the Navy. This guy had always masked his emotions with wise-guy sarcasm and a wicked sense of humor. But now he was crying as he told me how lonely and miserable he was in boot camp. It was the holidays, and he missed his family and friends terribly. He bitterly regretted enlisting and desperately wanted to cancel the whole thing. It was heartbreaking. Thank you for so beautifully expressing your own experience, reminding us of the seldom-discussed vulnerability of young soldiers, especially during the holidays. ❤️
"To those of you reading this, remember that, for all the bullshit, you are loved and appreciated, and we are so thankful that you’re serving our country." Beautifully put, and the same goes for you! Thank you for sharing your experience and for your service to our country.
One of your best. You have a unique ability to bring us right into the moment.
Thank you for this! That's so kind of you to say. I was worried about getting the tone just right. I probably could have been a little funnier.
Not every holiday is magic and that's OK. 😊 Arlo Guthrie started it with Alice's Restaurant.
Oh so very true! I've been on that cheery side of the table and wanted to take every one of those faces home. I think of my dad, just turned 20 in the fall of 1941, eating Thanksgiving dinner onboard the ship taking him to Pearl Harbor. No one knowing Christmas would not come as planned that year.
I'm grateful for your voice & perspective Charlotte!
Jonel, it's so strange the perspective on family that comes with being in the military. On every level, it truly reshapes how one thinks about community. I'm grateful for your father's service, and moreover, I'm thankful for your kind words. <3
You have such an earnest way of providing perspective and opening the door for empathy. I really appreciate how you share your gifts. Thank you, and gratitude and grace to all others who serve, past and present.
Thank you, Charlotte, for your service. My grandfathers, my step-grandfather, my father, my uncle, and so many others also served & missed home. I am ever-thankful for the sacrifices made by you & all our service members keeping our country safe. Thank you.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and all USian celebrants, no matter where and in what circumstances you may find yourselves. And thanks to all those serving your country abroad - whether in the military or foreign and attached services - and their families.
I truly appreciate your perspective on this. It makes me even more reflective regarding the sacrifices that you, my father & so many others have endured. You are such a gifted writer. Thank you, once again.
I'll never forget getting a phone call 54 years ago from a friend of mine who had recently enlisted in the Navy. This guy had always masked his emotions with wise-guy sarcasm and a wicked sense of humor. But now he was crying as he told me how lonely and miserable he was in boot camp. It was the holidays, and he missed his family and friends terribly. He bitterly regretted enlisting and desperately wanted to cancel the whole thing. It was heartbreaking. Thank you for so beautifully expressing your own experience, reminding us of the seldom-discussed vulnerability of young soldiers, especially during the holidays. ❤️
"To those of you reading this, remember that, for all the bullshit, you are loved and appreciated, and we are so thankful that you’re serving our country." Beautifully put, and the same goes for you! Thank you for sharing your experience and for your service to our country.
Well done, Charlotte.