All American Memorial Day

Memorial Day

the Start to an All-American Day...

an All-American breakfast at iHop...After all,

iBlog and iHop.

  

At breakfast I couldn’t help notice the couple seated in a booth directly across from PaulA and me.

A young man and a young lady

who apparently was a waitress on her “break.”

(Her iHop apron was an iHop give-away

or maybe she, too, was an iHop fan?)

 

 They sat across the table from each other

on the edge of their seats,

tightly holding hands

staring adoringly into each other's eyes...

awwwww...young love.

Call me nosey...but I couldn’t help from watching them...

even though...

PaulA reminded me that it was impolite to stare.

But I couldn’t help myself....

especially when later her face turned red and she was reduced to tears.

It was time to say good-bye...break over.

They stood up in the middle of the room

embraced each other...holding on ever so tightly,

while she buried her head in his neck, sobbing.

And I was reduced to tears.  I tried to hold them back...

First the lump...then the contorted face,

but there was no stopping them..

waterworks falling...

...flooding my short stack of pancakes.

Our waitress confirmed our probing questions...

the couple was recently engaged

and he was leaving

for active duty

at 11 am...

today, Memorial Day.

Paul (knowing me) tried to get me to think of something else.

Anything else.

As nothing ...pushes my emotional pedal harder than

young military men and women having to leave

their loved ones behind.

A Ferrari goes from 0 to 60 ...in 3 seconds

And this Kat goes from

a smile to a full--out cry...in the same amount of time.

Anywhooo.......

Today we honor and show gratitude to

the men and women

who have served, protected, and given their lives

for our country and our freedom.

Freedom is not free.

Our freedom comes at a high cost...

and

We can’t say THANKS enough.

In honor of those who have protected our freedoms

attend a parade,

fly the American flag,

 wear red, white, and blue.

 It’s the American Way.

iHOPe

you have a wonderful

Memorial Day.

 

And iHOPe

 that the young man I saw this morning at iHop

comes home safe and sound

 to his sweetheart.