Real Life Mama: Pondering the realities of their service

Features Lifestyle Top Stories Facebook X Pinterest WhatsApp Wait, you were getting bombed? That is all I could think about. She continued on with her story, and I was trying to listen — I really was. But my brain could not get past what it had just heard. Getting bombed. Right there in the middle of a casual conversation — an ordinary exchange — she mentioned something that was anything but ordinary to me. And listen, with seven kids, I thought I had learned to expect the unexpected. I truly never know what my kids are going to say or do, and things that probably would have shocked me 10 or 15 years ago barely faze me these days. But getting bombed? That stopped me cold. While I knew she had served in the military, I had never really stopped to consider what that service might have actually looked like. Something I could not even begin to wrap my head around was simply part of her story — a part of her life I knew nothing about until those words came out of her mouth. It made me think about all the veterans I know and cross paths with every day whose experiences and sacrifices I may never fully understand. The person standing behind me in the grocery store. The parent sitting beside me at a basketball game. The neighbor mowing his lawn or the woman waiting in line for her morning coffee. Every day, I encounter people carrying stories I cannot imagine and experiences I will probably never fully comprehend. Over the past couple of years, I have had the opportunity to get to know more people who have served in our military. While I have always respected and appreciated our veterans, I do not think I ever truly considered just how much their service can encompass. It is not just the deployments or dangers they may have faced. It’s also the time away from family — birthdays and holidays missed — and sacrifices made by the people who love them. It is packing up an entire household and moving across the country — or around the world, sometimes several different times. Recently, Maylie has taken a real interest in singing the national anthem. While this girl has been singing her entire life, she has never really focused on these particular words before. The other night, after practicing, she asked if I wanted to hear it. Of course I did. As she belted it out, I thought about how differently I hear those words today. When she mentioned her dream of singing it before a sporting event someday, it sent me right back to all the times I had heard the anthem before a game. After all, I had played in hundreds of sporting events that began with the Star-Spangled Banner. I had heard it more times than I could count. Like a lot of athletes, I stood respectfully while mentally preparing for the game ahead. When the anthem ended and the crowd cheered, it simply meant it was time to play. Not because I did not respect what the national anthem represented; it had just become such a familiar part of the routine. But especially over the past couple of years, I have found myself listening a little differently, really thinking about the words, the history behind them and the people who have served under our flag. If I am being honest, I spent years singing those words without really thinking about them. The rockets’ red glare. Bombs bursting in air. They were simply part of a song I had heard all my life. But after hearing someone casually mention being bombed, those lyrics suddenly felt a lot less like history and a lot more like a reminder that real people have lived through things most of us cannot begin to imagine. So as Maylie and I talked about her singing, it was important to me that she understood that while hitting the right note matters, there is something more important about singing those words. The real beauty comes from understanding their meaning and pouring emotion into what they are actually saying — remembering the sacrifices made by those who served and the families who supported them, so that we can enjoy freedoms we often take for granted. This week, we celebrated Veterans Day, thanking those who served and recognizing the men and women who have sacrificed so much for our country. But as Nov. 11 came and went, I hope we remember that the people we honor on Veterans Day do not disappear all the other days of the year. They are woven into our everyday lives, quietly carrying experiences and memories we may never fully understand. Some may have experienced the unimaginable, and even a small part of what they have lived through could leave us speechless. Others have made sacrifices that look entirely different but are no less deserving of our appreciation. As for me, the national anthem is no longer simply the beginning of a sporting event. I hear it differently now, thanks in part to the people whose experiences have given those words greater meaning. And I will never forget the moment when, in the middle of an ordinary conversation, someone casually mentioned something I could not begin to comprehend. Wait, you were getting bombed? To all our veterans, whether your service took you halfway around the world or kept you here at home, thank you for the sacrifices you have made, the time you have given, and the freedoms you have helped protect. Not just on Veterans Day, but every day. Sarah (Pitson) Shrader was born and raised in Lima. She is a Lima Central Catholic and Tiffin University graduate. Sarah is a full-time working mama who enjoys writing about her somewhat crazy, always adventurous life as a mom and bonus mom. She lives in Bath Township with her husband, Lee Parsons, and their seven kids. Featured Local Savings