Welcome to November 2009. This month always holds a special meaning for me and when I realized that it made me wonder if any other months were equally special. Hmmm…
In January I always consider the new year and the opportunities or blessings it may bring; but I don’t feel particularly special about that month.
In February I celebrate having lived through another year and the accomplishments of a couple of our early presidents.
In March I enjoy making fun of my best friend having gotten another year older. Entertaining, but hardly momentous in the broader view.
In April I celebrate a daughter’s birthday and Easter. I take particular delight in the arrival of spring as it affirms new life – which is always a good thing.
In May I celebrate my wife’s birthday and Memorial Day. Since we’re focusing so much on Veteran’s Day with THIS issue, it’s interesting to realize that Memorial Day means just as much in a different way. Memorial Day is much more somber as we remember and honor those who sacrificed their lives as they provided military service.
In June I celebrate a son’s birthday… um, and that’s about it.
In July I celebrate my older sister’s birthday – particularly since I’ve been taller than she is since I was about 11. I also celebrate Independence Day which I consider to be of vital importance to all Americans. I don’t feel we give it due consideration nearly enough. I can’t help but wonder: if school was in session in the first week of July, how much focus would the “holiday” receive? To me it goes hand-in-hand with Memorial Day and Veterans’ Day. After all, we’re only celebrating the birth of the greatest nation on earth, the birth of which was only enabled by the sacrifices of those men and women willing to sacrifice to make it so.
In August I celebrate another daughter’s birthday and (usually) the start of the new school year.
In September there’s Labor Day (where we acknowledge the contributions of the working man) – a holiday enjoyed equally by those who work and those who don’t. Odd. I also celebrate my wedding anniversary and continue to be amazed that my wife is still around.
October brings Halloween but not much else.
I’ll skip November because I’ll be getting into it so thoroughly in another few lines.
In December we enjoy Christmas and celebrate the joy of giving as we remember (those Christians among the readership) the gift Jesus gave to us. Even if you aren’t Christian or if your “flavor” of Christianity doesn’t celebrate Christmas in the same way, you can still appreciate the lessons Jesus gave through his teachings and apply them as you see fit in your own day to day lives.
So my conclusion was that no other month really seems as event filled as November. The month’s “celebrating” begins for me in the first week. I have to call or send four of my brothers birthday cards; not because they actually have birthdays this month, but because the Marine Corps’ birthday is November 10th and they are all Marines (once a Marine, always a Marine). Of course, this also applies to my oldest son and his wife and one of my closest friends, Vince. In Vince’s case it both figurative and literal because he WAS born on November 10th as well as being a Marine. To all of them I wish a Happy Birthday (your virtual card can be found elsewhere in this issue).
The very next day is Veterans’ Day. It’s a day when virtually every citizen of this country, whether they agree with our involvement in current conflicts world wide or not, should reach out a hand and say “THANK YOU” to every service member serving in any branch of the United States Armed Services. Certainly, we at New American Truth extend our deep appreciation to every service veteran; we view it as our duty as Americans to both express that thanks and to honor the service you so willingly gave. Your sacrifices of time away from family, physical discomfort, injury and pain, are never to be taken for granted in our eyes. The courage and commitment you showed marks you forever as people of honor to be admired and appreciated and held up as heroes; examples to our country’s youth of what they should aspire to in early adulthood.
Later in the month I celebrate my other son’s birthday. All of my children are special to me but, due to life’s circumstances, he is the only one of my children I’ve been a “full time father” to since the day of his birth. It has been both a challenge and a blessing and seeing him grow into his teenage years is a rewarding experience I’ve not quite experienced the same way before. As he grows into and through his teenage years it’ll be interesting to see how excited I am about each of those birthdays and the challenges each new teen year brings.
Near the end of the month we enjoy Thanksgiving. No matter what culture, race or religion you hail from, Thanksgiving is a universal holiday you can celebrate and enjoy. Virtually every one of us has something to be thankful for even if it’s only life itself that morning when we wake up. So many people today around the world wake up each morning wondering where their next mouthful of food is coming from or if they’ll get one at all; so many wake up sick or diseased with little to no hope of recovery or cure; so many wake up under the boot heel of a tyrannical or dictatorial government that regularly usurps their individual rights or freedoms, refusing to recognize the value of the whole human being and only recognizing that which is of value to the greater whole of the government.
In America, so far, we don’t have that problem. There are those amongst us who believe it’s coming or that our current government “leaders” are pushing for such an existence. I take great faith in this single truth: those men and women whom I honor in May, celebrate and appreciate in November, and whom I remember with thanks in July for the birth of our country – those men and women will never let the United States of America become anything less than what was intended. America will always be free and independent and should those government leaders ever stray too far from the carefully defined path, they’ll be helped back onto the straight and narrow by those with the courage of their convictions to do so.
I think that in November, because of Veterans’ Day and Thanksgiving, I feel connected to the sacrifices of those who founded this great nation of ours, and even their ancestors who braved unknown conditions, sometimes horrible living conditions and strange new places simply to find a better way of life. I like to believe that explorer’s attitude; that colonist’s view if you will – is still alive and well in many Americans today. We are not afraid of change if we perceive the potential as beneficial overall, or better than what is contemporary. We are not afraid to stand up and be both counted and heard as we exercise our rights in seeking or supporting positive change in our country.
So, yeah… November is quite a special month to me. I’d be interested in hearing what it means to you. Feel free to share your thoughts on our blog. Perhaps you can inspire someone else to be thankful for a blessing they hadn’t realized or thought about having.
Read on and stay safe as the holiday season grows upon us.
Frank Borelli
Editor In Chief
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