Happy Veteran’s Day – Belated

Veteran’s Day is a completely over-looked, underrated American holiday. Some celebrate our veterans with pride and fervor, while many others just let the day pass them by with no more than a shrug of acknowledgement. As it’s a U.S. federal holiday, some may enjoy a day off work, but most do not. Much like Memorial Day or MLK Day or Columbus Day, Veteran’s Day is not a cash-cow, like Christmas or Thanksgiving (I would include Halloween, but thats not even a federal holiday). But people should stop and at least acknowledge the day designated to celebrate and thank American veterans.

Perparing for the Veteran’s Day Parade near Zion National Park

As a side note, I had this post set to publish on Monday, but due to extremely slow Intertnet connectivity in the remote Bryce Canyon (where we were this past weekend), I wasn’t able to execute.

Enjoying some of America’s best national parks out west with my favorite veteran. The Narrows hike in Zion National Park.

My husband is a veteran. My brother-in-law is a veteran. My grandfather was a veteran. So many of my friends are veterans. And there are countless other men and women I don’t know who have put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect and serve our country. Let’s just take a moment to stop and be thankful for them, to recognize that we wouldn’t be here without them. Despite your political stance, even if you don’t believe in war, know that these men and women have left their families to fight against tyrants and radicals and terrorists. They fight for the lives and the freedoms that all humans are entitled to. If you’re reading this and you’re not American, take a moment to be thankful for your country’s veterans.

I just got back from a five-day trip out west, visiting some of America’s best national parks with my favorite veteran: Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Grand Staircase/Escalante National Monument, and Dixie National Forest.