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"The really important kind of freedom involves attention, and awareness, and discipline, and effort, and being able truly to care about other people and to sacrifice for them, over and over, in myriad petty little unsexy ways, every day."
David Foster Wallace

When I first came across this quote, I thought I'd use it for a post about the personal relationships in my life. Daily, my parents, my husband, my brother, and my friends all offer me the freedom to be myself by making space for me to fail and grow. They make allowances for me, they sacrifice for me, in the most banal, trivial ways. But those seemingly small allowances add up to something invaluable to me. Amazingly, they do this often without any need for immediate compensation. They live with the hope that I will hold up my end of the social compact and return the favor, but the score is by no means even.

This weekend, I can't help but see these words differently. I am humbled by all the ways our servicemen and servicewomen uphold freedom for our nation and for others around the world. Through their attention, awareness, discipline and effort, they sacrifice for us day after day in the most unsexy ways.

It is easy and convenient for me to remember their sacrifices on these big, shiny event-filled holidays. May I do a better job remembering them always.