To our veterans and their families

Thank you. I don't know what else to say that would communicate the incredible gratitude and respect I have for our nation's veterans and their families. I heard the song "Proud to Be an American" on the radio last night. It made me cry. Freedom isn't free, and I know it.

I have many family members that were in the service: Uncle Johnny, Uncle Paul, Uncle Mike, my cousins Beau and Rick. Surprisingly, we rarely talk about their time there. I know Uncle Johnny was in Korea (he doesn't like kimchi). Uncle Mike was in Vietnam. Beau was in the Marines. Rick is still in the Army, stationed in Germany, but has been to Kosovo, Kuwait, Iraq (including the clean-up of Abu Ghraib after the military scandal there). Why don't we chat about their careers? Because they fought in wars. Because the stories aren't ones that can be shared with your loved ones.

I work for a consulting firm, but my client is the Department of Veterans Affairs. I often think that if I was consulting with a commercial healthcare client, I would have quit already. Knowing that I am helping our veterans and their families makes my job worth it. If you have never gone to a VA Medical Center, you should. Look at the men and women in the waiting room. Watch them reach out to you with their eyes. Many of them are alone, or feel alone. They just want you to say hello and ask how they are. Usually, when people ask what I do, I don't usually tell them I'm a Manager with the top Big 4 Accounting/Consulting firm. I tell them "I'm a contractor with the Department of Veterans Affairs." If you are looking for a way to give back this year, please go to the VA website and find a VA Medical Center or Clinic near you. They'd love to have you.

I now live in (okay, really close to) our nation's capital. Today I drove downtown -- Federal holiday ... virtually NO traffic -- and saw the monuments and memorials. As I drove home, the radio station was naming the many services that were being held, in Arlington Cemetary, at the Vietnam memorial, at the WWII memorial. I've been to those places and I've cried there too.

I hope and pray that all of you think of veterans, their families and their sacrifices more than just this one day each year.