By Jaimi Erickson
Contributing Writer
Last year for a field trip, our homeschool group participated in Wreaths Across America that happens on the second Saturday of December each year. We laid wreaths on the gravesites of Veterans to honor their sacrifice. In a gesture of remembrance, we read the names engraved on their headstones as we placed the wreaths to acknowledge that we remember their sacrifice.
As I picked up a wreath and walked along a row of graves, the birthdates listed on the headstones began to alarm me. Many of those buried there were born a decade after me. Many fought in wars that my husband also fought in. The difference is that my husband came home. I was struck with emotion and choked back tears as the impact of those facts took hold.
Teaching Children the Impact of Service
Participating in the Wreaths Across America event was not meant to make us feel good for placing wreaths in remembrance of Veterans’ lives. It was meant to invoke the memory of each name on each headstone as we walked the rows of the cemetery reading them out loud.
Participating in Wreaths Across America was an opportunity to teach my children the true meaning of the statement “freedom is not free.” We go through election cycles and have online debates about our beliefs, while a collection of young people, middle-aged people, and older folks commit to provide the environment for that free expression to exist. The reality is that many lose their lives in the process of guaranteeing that freedom.
It is an act that reminded me of the privilege it is to live in a country where freedom is the philosophical foundation underlying our system of government.
Remembering the Many Who Gave the Ultimate Sacrifice
It is not lost on me that many servicemembers do not come home from deployment. In fact, shortly after our wreath-laying experience, a neighbor, while participating in a field exercise overseas, had a heart attack. He was a young, healthy guy — exactly the type you would picture when thinking about a Marine. His daughters were friends with my kids, and now they’ve lost their dad.
The loss of life in the military community is an everyday reality that many face. Whether the loss happened decades ago, or merely a few months, the reality of this pierces my thoughts and heart.
I am married to a Veteran who retired this year, and reflecting on what servicemembers do each day to support and defend the U.S. Constitution is humbling. They give the prime years of their lives and careers. They give up time with family with the hope that relationships will remain intact after deployments and separations end.
Support Wreaths Across America
Wreaths Across America is not just a field trip or an act of remembrance. It is a life-changing honor. Donating helps participants absorb the impact of each fallen servicemember’s sacrifice.
Laying wreaths instilled an impact in my soul that I will not forget or ever take for granted. Sharing the experience with my children meant a seed of remembrance and impact was planted in their hearts, too.
About Jaimi Erickson
Jaimi is a mom of 4, military wife, and writer. She blogs about motherhood, kids activities and homemaking tips at The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide. Connect with her on Instagram, Facebook or Pinterest.
