The sweet memory

Thank you to all of our veterans. We owe you all our gratitude and respect for the freedoms we enjoy every day.

I am constantly reminded of the sacrifices made by those who have served our country. My family history is filled with a rich military history. In fact, almost 32 years ago I was born on a military base in Okinawa, Japan where my Dad was serving. I can’t imagine being pregnant and having my first baby so very far away from home, but that is exactly what my parents did. My Dad’s parents made the journey from Ohio to Okinawa for my birth. I knew it was a huge trip for them; if I remember correctly, my Grandma hadn’t traveled much, if at all, outside of Ohio prior to that

Last Sunday when we went to visit Grandma, who is recuperating from a hip replacement in a rehab center, she relayed a touching story. She said during one of their group sessions they were stretching and chatting when the therapist asked everyone in the group to describe their favorite vacation. Some patients recounted a cruise or a trip to the Grand Canyon. Grandma said when it came her turn she got so choked up she could barely tell her story. She said the biggest trip of her life was travelling to Okinawa for the birth of her first grandchild – me. And even as she was telling me about it several days later, she choked up again. Her words couldn’t say what her eyes did. It touched me very deeply to realize that after 80 plus years of living and all the incredible things she has experienced in her life (she and Grandpa later travelled to Hawaii and across Europe), trotting across the globe for my birth was what she recounted as her best trip ever.