Honoring Veterans Around You All Year

You need not wait for November 11th to celebrate veterans. It is likely that you know more than one person that dedicated their life to protecting your freedom and country, and thus need recognition for the great they have done. It does not stop with those retired but those still in active duty because they are continually placing their life on the line to protect us. Given how much they give to us, here is what you can do to show love to those who served or are serving in the Armed Forces

Extend kindness

“Thank you for your service” is a noble thing to say when you encounter someone in the army. However, you can do more to show that you mean your words. While you don’t have to, saying a few words of encouragement or asking if you can purchase their coffee makes all the difference. When doing so, you have to check your intention to avoid coming across as merely saying the phrase or doing the action to appear patriotic. Remember these are human beings similar to us, only that they chose a different path. Therefore, the kindness you extend to them ought to be authentic, not just another Instagram post for likes.

Volunteer

Wars have casualties. If you are aware of such a family in your neighborhood, whether through association or a group, find a way to give back to them. Whether you are helping the injured or those whose loved one has passed on, there are still many ways you can show love. You can also choose to do it on a personal level. Look at the talent you have and volunteer them toward a family. If you work at a dog bite lawyers firm but are passionate about giving financial advice on the side, you can volunteer your services to veterans families.

Educate yourself

This last point about showing love to veterans and their family is about understanding the sacrifice of what the people going for missions and their families go through. Before committing yourself to undertake the above points, you need to have at least attempted to walk in their shoes. There are blogs, forums, and website that shed light on the life of those in the Armed Forces and their families that we would do well to read and understand. Once you do, the ideas you come up with to show love and support for our veterans will be authentic, and beyond the scope of the ideas, we have given.