To honor someone is to hold him/her in high esteem. This weekend our nation “honored” veterans. I am married to a veteran; we had ceremonies for Veterans Day throughout his military career. Now that he’s retired, I have to admit that the holiday has lost some of its ceremony. One of our young students this week couldn’t understand why we would need a holiday for soldiers. By the end of a video that age-appropriately explained “why,” there were many kids crying. I think those tears are the definition of “honor.”
Are you familiar with the term sweat equity? Sweat equity is a person’s contribution to a project in the form of effort and toil. Soldiers certainly have “sweat equity” in our nation. Anyone willing to give long hours (sometimes in the form of a year-long deployment), hard work, and possibly his own life for a project (in this case, a nation) deserves to be honored.
To honor something is to fulfill it - as in a commitment, obligation or agreement. My husband is honorable because, when he makes a commitment, he keeps it. He and I have vowed to stay married till death. There have been tough times, but God offers healing that helps us honor our commitment.
Honor can also be a noun, though. An honor is a special distinction for bravery, achievement, or respect. The Medal of Honor is our nation’s greatest military award. It is awarded to service members who distinguish themselves by acts of valor, which means strength of mind or spirit that enables them to encounter danger with firmness.
How does one learn this bravery? The short answer is that it must be taught. I encourage you not to shield your children from the truth of what soldiers do. Veterans Day may be over for another year, but veterans themselves are everywhere. Get your children involved with the people who gave them their freedoms. You could take a Sunday once a month to go visit veterans at the VA Center nearest you. The very least you should do is make your children aware of the history of our country… of the sacrifices that were made by honorable men and women to give them the lifestyle they so enjoy. Honor their sacrifices by making sure your children know about them.
- Michelle