Veteran’s Day is a week away, and while it’s coming up keep this thought in mind. Our soldiers go onto the front lines and face the closest evil to hell on earth — that I could never comprehend. Yet, there is a deeper element. As Winston Churchill so eloquently penned, “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” The intention of a war is not to fight one battle and see who wins. Wartime contains many battles, many fights, many losses. Yet, our soldiers keep going. On one side, a comrade falls behind. On the other side, the enemy pushes forward. In agony, our soldiers relinquish their joy in life that others might fulfill their own. Here at home, mothers, wives, fiancés, sisters, fathers, brothers, and children feel the emptiness. On that spot at the dinner table, at your side where a companion once held your hand, through the doorway where they would’ve come home, in your dreams where it all is kept alive, the hope still remains. Someday, your phone may ring or the knock on the door turns your dreams into reality. Dinner is placed at the empty spot, your hand is warm again, and the doorway is passed under with laughter and tears at the sight of those shoes you missed coming home. They have come home. Your loved one has arrived. Your veteran, your soldier, your hero, your love has returned. Honoring those especially dear, remembering the spaces that may remain empty, and thanking those currently sacrificing their lives for yours and mine. Happy Veteran’s Day, and never forget.