Veterans Day was Wednesday. Today is Friday.
The tributes have moved down our feeds. The conversation has shifted. Life goes on.
But for the veterans and families carrying burdens most of us never see, those burdens didn’t disappear when the day ended.
I wrote something in The Daily Pursuit this week that’s stayed with me: their service deserves more than one day of gratitude.
It’s easy to agree with that. This week, I found myself with an opportunity to put something behind it.
Through my real estate business, I’m in the process of buying a house from a woman who served our country. Her husband was also a veteran. He has since passed away, and she’s facing a difficult chapter.
The house has fallen into disrepair, and complications surrounding the sale have added to the financial burden she’s carrying.
I came into this as someone buying a house. But there’s a person on the other side of that transaction. A woman who served. A wife who lost her husband. A fellow American who could use some help.
I’m doing the absolute best I can for her with the sale, but title issues have delayed the process and added to an already difficult situation. And while we work through those issues, I wanted to do a little extra to help ease the burden she’s carrying.
So I started a GoFundMe with a goal of raising $5,000 to help her. The first $5,000 raised will go toward supporting her, and anything above that will go to the Committee for Families of War Veterans, where Barb serves as president.
As a Gold Star wife, Barb knows personally that the sacrifices made by military families don’t end when the service ends. They become part of everyday life. Part of raising a family. Part of moving forward when the person you expected to share that life with is gone.
That’s something I think we need to remember after the ceremonies are over.
We live in a country where freedom has always depended on people willing to defend it. Real people with families, plans, and futures of their own. People who stepped forward knowing that service could cost them something.
Saying thank you matters. Flying the flag matters. Teaching our children to respect that service matters.
And when an opportunity comes along to help someone who served, that matters, too.
I talk a lot about faith, family, and freedom. Those words mean something to me. They shape how I see this country and the kind of life I want to build.
Part of living those values is paying attention to the people God puts in our path. Sometimes we have the ability to make a difficult season a little easier for someone. We may not be able to fix everything, but we can do something.
That’s where the daily pursuit becomes personal.
We’re all working toward something. Building businesses. Raising families. Trying to become stronger, wiser, and more capable. There’s purpose in that work. There’s also purpose in using some of what we’ve built to help another person get back on their feet.
This fundraiser is one small opportunity to do that.
If you’re able to contribute, I’d be grateful. If giving isn’t possible right now, sharing her story or keeping her in your prayers is another way to help.
As we head into the weekend, I hope we carry some of Wednesday’s gratitude with us.
Because someone who served our country should know we still care on an ordinary Friday.
God bless our veterans and their families.
Keep pursuing. 🇺🇸
