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SCI Retreat to close by Saturday

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Chalk hearts and real smiles delivered by United Way

PLAINS TWP. &mdash; The attached photo of a painting of a veterans ceremony brought back a lot of memories for me.
				This scene reminds me of the ceremonies that took place at the Shawnee Cemetery many years ago. Veterans would attend with families and friends to remember all those veterans who died in battle, or who returned and contributed to their community until they passed.
				My dad never missed one of those ceremonies and he was sure to take me along to witness them.
				I have to say that standing at those ceremonies and listening to the speeches and hearing &ldquo;Taps&rdquo; played at the end always made me feel very proud to be an American &mdash; especially being the son of a World War II veteran who was injured in battle.
				America will be celebrating its independence on July 4th and there will be ceremonies held to remember our fight for freedom and to also pay tribute to all veterans of all wars. We all should make every effort to attend at last one of these ceremonies.
				Or maybe just visit a cemetery and stop and say a prayer near those graves marked with American flags. It would mean a lot to those you have never known, but who fought for you and for all of us.
				It&rsquo;s a big deal, really. Even just thanking a veteran for his or her service means so much to them &mdash; to know that we appreciated and respect what they did for us.
				So take the time and make a real difference in a veteran&rsquo;s life.
				And then go to your July 4th party and enjoy the hot dogs and hamburgs on the grill, the potato salad, the baked beans, the cake with the American flag drawn on top.
				Enjoy the conversations with friends and family. Go for a dip in the pool. Talk about the pandemic and wearing masks and self isolation. Talk politics, if you dare. Speak your mind. Express your opinion. Talk about your job and your investments and your homes and your children. Talk about whether or not professional sports should resume.
				Do all you enjoy and enjoy doing it.
				And remember, if it weren&rsquo;t for veterans, you wouldn&rsquo;t have that freedom to allow you to enjoy.
				This is not an overstatement. But sometimes I feel the appreciation of veterans and their service is declining. we can&rsquo;t have that. we have to wear our red, white and blue every day, but especially on days like July 4th.
				You can agree to disagree on just about everything. But one thing we all must agree on is that if it weren&rsquo;t for our veterans, our opinions would matter little, if at all.
				And those first veterans who fought in the Revolutionary War set the example. They fought to give us our independence and they fought at great loss. But they were determined because they knew just how great this country could be.
				So take some time to remember them. Maybe even pause at your July 4th party and praise all veterans. Thanks those in attendance for their service.
				Compliment the chef for the delicious food. Thank the host and hostess for a great party.
				And thank all veterans, whether it be in person, in prayer, or in silent meditation, for all they did and that you appreciate and respect each of them, living or deceased.
				God bless America.

Beyond the Byline: Include veterans in your July 4th celebration