On the surface, Vetaran's day isn't technically a Pagan holiday. And yet, many of us owe great portions of our daily life (and freedoms) to the soldiers who dedicated part of their life to the defense of the country we live in...whether or not they actually fought in a war.
I'm not, by any means, belittling the hardships and sacrifices made by soldiers who have taken part in combat, simply voicing a reminder that joining the military is a relinquishment of a lot of the freedoms we take for granted, often freedoms we have these same soldiers (or ones like them in other times) to thank for.
I grew up in a military family, and while I was only a child, I saw some of the sacrifices made in everyday life for a soldier. The military decided where we lived, and for how long. It decided when my father would travel away from home.
I have known people in the military my whole life, and they often are required to live by certain standards that most adults don't have to consider. They are expected to look a certain way, act a certain way, and often these strictures extend beyond their 'working' hours...as the whole time you are part of the military you are considered a representative of your country, so you can't do some of the dumb things the rest of us have the freedom to choose to do.
And while they do get days off and vacation time, those things can be recalled at any time, if it is deemed necessary. In a fairly real sense, by joining the military you have signed away those years of your life, dedicating yourself to the greater good and to doing what is needed for your country.
It always makes me both sad and mad when I see people make light of military who haven't seen combat. Of course combat veterans and military folks are dealing with stuff most of us can never truly (hopefully) understand. But simply being in the military means living with the idea, every day, that you could be in those situations.
When we honor Veterans (and members of the military), we should honor all of them, regardless of whether they have seen combat or not. We should recognize the sacrifices of personal freedoms they have made, in order to better protect and serve the people of their homeland.
As a Pagan, I feel very deeply that my life is made better because of the people who serve in the military. I hope that we can find peaceful solutions, but I am grateful that we have men and women who are willing to step up when that isn't the case. I also trust that when disasters happen, the military is often called in to help with rescues and cleanup.
I don't think of it as a debt owed, in the traditional sense, but I do feel like I need to acknowledge how my life has been impacted by the people who serve my country. For me, this means saying prayers for our military, so that they can find peaceful solutions, so they can come home safely (and so the military of other countries can also come home safely). It means sending energy and blessings to our soldiers, many of whom are young and away from home for the first time (or not able to be home with their families as much as other people).
Though I will never be military myself, the one thing I can do is support our military folks. Whether I agree with the decisions politicians are making or not. Whether we are in a war I approve of or not. The men and women who are putting themselves out there, whether they are in an active conflict situation or not, deserve my respect and gratitude.
It is very easy to transfer our opinions about our government and about war in general to the people who are doing the fighting, but I feel it is important to remember that most of them don't have a choice about what they are doing. Yes, they chose to join (though in many cases, it wasn't a choice at all), but once they are in, choices are gone, and they are left with following orders.
So regardless of I feel about the greater issues at hand, no matter what other magical work I may be doing to change the system...I feel it is vital to remember that the actual soldiers, the people who are in those unenviable positions of serving their country. And I will continue to treat all of them with the respect they are due, and to hold gratitude in my heart for their sacrifices.
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