• Home
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Collaborate
  • Blog
  • Parties
    • Children’s Parties Ideas
    • Holiday Parties
    • Adult Party Ideas
  • Holiday Ideas
    • Christmas
    • Easter
    • Fourth of July
    • Spring
    • Thanksgiving
    • Valentine’s Day
  • Seasons
    • Winter
    • Spring
    • Summer
    • Autumn
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes
    • Soups
  • Project Gallery
    • Crafts
    • Decorating
    • DIY
    • Good Ideas
    • Tutorials
  • Shop My Home
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Bloglovin
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

At The Picket Fence with Vanessa Hunt

Where Ideas for your Home Meet Inspiration for your Heart

  • Book
  • Speaking
  • Meet Vanessa
    • Featured

May 26, 2013

Celebrating a Legacy of Patriotism on Memorial Day

A Post from the Past

flag

Papaw’s Flag Outside of our Home

We can trace the legacy of service in my husband’s family back to the Civil War but alas there is no photographic evidence, so I will start with the man who was/is so near and dear to my heart…

papaw

My husband’s Papaw…isn’t he dashing?!  He served valiantly on the USS Mills for three years during WWII.  And he loved to remind us regularly… i.e every time we were together.. how often he traveled across the ocean on this Coast Guard destroyer.  I will now list it for posterity…once across the Pacific and 14 times across the Atlantic!

USS Mills

As most women across the world can attest to,  we often wonder would I have the strength to watch my husband or son leave our family to serve his country.  Today, there are cell phones, internet connections, webcams.  But when Papaw left, there were very few ways to communicate that everyone was ok.  You would have to wait, and pray, and wait, and pray and hope for a letter.  I want to honor Mamaw Bessie for her strength.  I would love to think I could be that strong living in the unknown…but I wonder could I?

mamaw and papaw

Papaw Ray never lost an ounce of love for his country.  He was the most patriotic man I knew.  He had more flags, military and coast guard mementos than his room could hold.  His pride swelled with the knowledge that his son-in-law (my father-in-law) would also be serving his country.

bob

My handsome dad-in-law

This man dedicated his whole life to military service as a Marine and then as a Army Officer and Helicopter Pilot. This man served two tours in Vietnam.  And my mother-in-law waited for him not knowing..as all military wives have in the past, but with the added blessing/curse of daily news coverage.  Where one heard about helicopter crashes but had to wait to find out…was it him?

And those two wonderful people were blessed to be the parents of this man….

lee

Be still my heart!

…who left college when his country asked him to, to serve during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Who has served his country in one form or another his entire adult life….he belongs to me.  And I am so thankful that I can always know where he is and how to reach him…thank you God for modern technology!

Memorial-day

Three Patriots! 4th of July Service

So here stands three of the most patriotic men I know.  They all have/are serving their country.  However one may feel about the current state of America, it’s still a country worth sacrificing for.

And, when Papaw passed away on a 4th of July(!) and we laid him to rest, I wondered would the little boy on the left serve his country this same way, someday…

funeral

Because that little boy is mine…and it changes everything when they are your child.  Are all bets off when they belong to you?  When you held them in your arms and they looked at you with newborn eyes?  The time is counting down fast to manhood, he just turned 17, and there is so little time left.  I will be proud of him whatever he chooses to do; as long as he keeps that servants heart that was passed down to him from the great men who have influenced his life.  But if he does choose to serve this way…will I let him?  Can I let him?   My answer is yes. And it looks like I will have to, because my little boy spent four days this spring, doing this…

Michael

Cadet Leadership Training at North Georgia University (my son on the left)

And my heart aches a little, but I will let him go, and will be proud…and I will call him everyday…because I am his mom. Thank you Papaw, thank you to my dad-in-law, thank you “my love”, thank you to the men and women everywhere serving their country right now, this very minute and thank you to the families of those who sacrificed more than we can imagine.  In memory and with honor…we say thank you.

Happy Memorial Day!   Thank you for sharing a part of your day with us At The Picket Fence.

signature 1

 

10 Comments Filed Under: Devotionals, Holidays Tagged With: memorial day

Subscribe

Get the latest goodness straight to your inbox!

Previous Post: « So Long Jack! How to Disguise Ugly Wall Fixtures
Next Post: Dirty Little Secrets… »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Angela says

    May 26, 2013 at 12:58 PM

    Beautiful post, Heather. As a military wife myself, I understand your feelings deeply. God Bless your family and God Bless you. Happy Memorial Day!~~Angela

    Reply
  2. Marty Walden says

    May 26, 2013 at 1:17 PM

    Just beautiful Heather. My son did not go into the military but he plans to be a missionary to France. Letting go is oh so very hard.

    Reply
  3. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    May 26, 2013 at 1:49 PM

    Oh my goodness I just cried through the last half of this post. Letting go is so hard. This is a beautiful post. xoxo, Claire

    Reply
  4. MARIANN says

    May 26, 2013 at 3:16 PM

    What a tribute and blessing to the 3 men in your family. I am honored you shared there stories. You are so blessed to have a son grow into such an honorable man. Thank you for honoring them today.

    Reply
  5. MDR says

    May 26, 2013 at 6:49 PM

    This is beautiful Heather! The military men in your life are/were truly fine, honorable men and we are blessed to know them personally! Thank you for honoring them! Mom and Dad

    Reply
  6. Melissa@TheHappierHomemaker says

    May 26, 2013 at 7:08 PM

    Oh Heather, I feel your heart on this post. My husband is in the Army and has served three year long deployments in his 14 year career so far, we met after his first, were engaged/married during his second, and he missed our third son’s birth in 2011 during his third. It’s hard but the thought of one of our little boys joining would make me proud and heartbroken at the same time…it’s a hard life but a very noble one. Thank you for sharing your family’s service this Memorial Day weekend.

    Reply
  7. Donna says

    May 26, 2013 at 8:48 PM

    My father was in the Air Force for 20 years before he retired. He passed away 3 years ago. I married an Air Force Lt Col…who proudly served 30 years. Today is our 12th anniversary! AND….my niece goes to NGU!!! She is in the nursing program!!! We have a couple things in common..oh, and I live in West GA! Happy Memorial Day…it’s NOT just about BBQs!!! 🙂

    Donna

    Reply
    • Heather says

      May 27, 2013 at 5:16 AM

      Donna, I am moving to GA! 🙂 I will be in touch privately, would love to know where you are.

      Heather

      Reply
  8. Patricia says

    May 26, 2013 at 9:14 PM

    God bless you and your family. I am also the proud mother of 4 children who have chosen to serve our country. Our son is in the Army,our other son is in the Air Force,our Daughter is in the Air Force, our other Daughter graduates in june then she is off to the Navy.We pray that all who serve are safe. I loved your story.
    Patti

    Reply
  9. Jane says

    May 28, 2013 at 11:03 AM

    Possibly the best tribute I’ve read this weekend. Thank you…..to all men who serve our country and provide our freedom….to your wonderful men, young and old….and to you for such a beautiful post.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Search This Blog

Get the book!

Invite Vanessa to speak at your event!

Stay updated!

  • A New Look for the Family Room

    A New Look for the Family Room
  • Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

    Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze
  • The Slow Exit

    The Slow Exit
  • Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

    Honed Quartzite Kitchen Counters Reveal

Sign Up and Never Miss A Post!

Must Reads

Hallelujah! He is Risen!

Latest Recipes

Honey Tea Cake Loaf with Lemon Glaze

Apple Bread Pudding

Grandma’s Banana Bread

view more recent recipes

Recent Posts

  • Winter Decorating Ideas January 27, 2023
  • Nostalgic Christmas Home Tour December 10, 2022
  • Vintage Inspired Hot Cocoa Bar November 21, 2022
  • Autumn Home Decor Tour October 7, 2022
  • Built In Shelving Makeover in Family Room August 31, 2022

Footer

Stay Connected!

Instagram

It’s time again for Tip Tuesday! Would you belie It’s time again for Tip Tuesday! Would you believe that a few years ago I found a sock in our pantry? Yes, a sock. Just there on the shelf next to the cereal. But did it stress me out? Nope! We got a good laugh out of it especially after it was claimed by its owner (my teenage son) and it was a reminder to me of why the daily mayhem of life doesn’t overwhelm me because I’ve already established areas in my home that remain clutter free and offer me a visual exhale. #tiptuesday
Yesterday on the way home from school I had the ra Yesterday on the way home from school I had the radio tuned to my daughter's favorite station and a song that was playing had a line in it that really stood out to me. It made reference to a 'season of the sticks' which I think its safe to say must mean winter. I thought that was such an accurate, albeiet kind of depressing, picture of this time of the year.While we definitely have more than our fair share of evergreen trees here in Oregon, we also have plenty of trees and bushes that are reduced to sticks during the cold months. But, this morning as I looked out my kitchen window, greedily sipping from my mug of coffee, I marveled at the beauty of the winter sunrise. The sky was all pinks and oranges with frost on the rooftops and a little bit of fog. And, I realized that part of why it was so amazing is because I could see it more clearly through the sticks. The bare branches allowed me a view that I wouldn't be able to see if those same branches were covered in leaves. Being stripped down to almost nothing revealed something magnificent.We have seasons of the sticks in our lives too, don't we? Times when we feel as though we've been stripped bare and left exposed. It's easy to think that this is a place where all is ugly and dark. And yet, just like the winter sunrise was more visible because of the bare branches, the vulnerability we feel in the winter season of our souls allows us to get a glimpse of beauty that we wouldn't see otherwise. In the lush, warm seasons it's so easy to become comfortable. But in the bare, cold seasons we recognize just how much we need to rely on the One who placed the stars in the heavens and is sovereign over all.If you feel like your soul has been stripped bare and you've been left exposed and vulnerable, may I encourage you today to ask the Lord to help you to see the beauty in this 'season of the sticks'.“Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalm 143:7
I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake a I just went to make my mid-morning protein shake and grabbed a banana out of the freezer and was about to put it into my shake before I realized it was a frozen egg roll. Sooooo that's how my day is going so far! 🤪How about you?It's honestly fairly representative of my state of mind these days as I can't seem to make the date on the calendar match the date in my spirit because it feels like it should be January 45th. Every year this month drags on and every year it seems to surprise me for some reason. In addition, my heart just feels heavy as I witness a lot of darkness and sadness around me. So, I'm choosing to control what I can control by making my house feel as cozy as possible, relishing the sunshine whenever it dares to peek through the clouds, gathering inspiration for warmer weather projects and, most importantly, resting in the comfort of the sovereignty of my Father.“God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that everyone he has made may know his work..." Job 37:5-7
What if you could do something at the beginning of What if you could do something at the beginning of your day that would be a gift to yourself later on? That’s what we’re talking about on this week’s Tip Tuesday! #tiptuesday
The sun decided to make another appearance today! The sun decided to make another appearance today! It’s been such a lovely Sunday. Chocolate croissants for breakfast followed by church then naps/football/reading/etc and soon we’ll be heading out to dinner with friends. These are my favorite kind of weekends. Hope yours has been lovely too! 🌿
Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshi Yesterday was stormy and cold but today the sunshine is breaking through the fog and my house just seems happier. We definitely needed to see that light streaming in through the windows and it’s a gift I don’t take for granted.And yes, there are still twinkle lights on my mantle because those help when the sunshine goes away again. ✨
Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here i Happy weekend! The rainy and gloomy weather here in the Willamette Valley has me feeling less frustrated about my migraine forcing me to just snuggle up indoors and these flowers in my kitchen are lifting my spirits. What are you up to on this holiday weekend?
It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offe It’s time for TIP TUESDAY! This week, I’m offering a gentle reminder from my own parenting experience after feeling my heart pricked with conviction about what was waiting for my daughter every day after school. I hope it will encourage you! 🌿#tiptuesday
The day after Christmas I found myself laundering The day after Christmas I found myself laundering and folding all of the linens we used the previous night as we hosted my husband's side of the family for dinner and other festivities. As I laid out each cloth napkin and folded them one by one, I couldn't help but be struck by what a simple, yet meaningful, task it was. It's such an honor and privilege to be the hostess and, at this stage of my life, I realize that this has almost one hundred percent become my role now. Our parents are in their 70's and have either downsized significantly or simply don't have the energy to take on hosting duties for a large group. I could resent this. I could feel overwhelmed by it. But, instead, I'm choosing to embrace it knowing that, someday, I too will pass the hosting torch and I hope that I will be welcomed with love and attentiveness. So, I fold the linen napkins, taking pleasure in the way all of the creases line up and how neat and tidy they look in the drawer of my dining room buffet. These seemingly simple chores are part of the lifeblood of homemaking and my attitude towards them can either be one of gratefulness or grumbly-ness (yes, I'm making up words now).And I’m choosing gratefulness.“This job has been given to me to do. Therefore, it is a gift. Therefore, it is a privilege. Therefore, it is an offering I may make to God. Therefore, it is to be done gladly, if it is done for Him. Here, not somewhere else, I may learn God’s way. In this job, not in some other, God looks for faithfulness.” (Elisabeth Elliot⁣)
Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kic Welcome to Tip Tuesday! I’m so excited to be kicking off the year with a brand new series! Each weekly installment will feature a tip for everything from your home to faith to parenting to family life and so much more. My goal for 2023 is to have far more personal interaction with this community while continuing on with the mission of weaving together all things heart and home. I hope you enjoy this first tip and I’d love to hear from you about whether or not you decorate for winter!
#tiptuesday #organizing #winterdecorating
Load More... Follow
Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 · Divine theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2023 At The Picket Fence