I hope you all enjoyed the long Memorial Day weekend and took advantage of sunshine and the start of summer.

I also hope you had a minute to stop and think about someone in your world who served, or perhaps is currently serving, our country.  For those of you who remember Debbie Lindner (who was with Gotham as our Director for many years), she never passed someone in uniform without stopping to shake their hand and say “thank you for your service.”

Memorial Day always makes me think of my father.  He served in the Korean War. He was lucky and was stationed where there was very little active combat.  He had odd jobs on the base, running the Canteen and such. 

At some point, the commander realized that my dad was an educator.  At that point, he was a certified teacher for elementary school students. (He later became an administrator, an assistant and then a full principal).  From that point forward, my dad was put in charge of teaching basic English to the men stationed in his platoon.

So yes, my dad was lucky, as far as service goes.  But he was still separated from the love of his life, my mom, who he had promised to marry when he returned.  They wrote so many letters back and forth to each other I am told.  And marry they did, upon his return.

Dad was proud of his contribution and wore his Korean Veterans baseball cap all the time. 

So, in taking from Debbie Lindner as I write this on Monday evening I will also say thank you for your service.

And I hope you enjoyed your day.