Tag: children

Silver and Gold

Silver and Gold,

Silver and Gold,

Families of heroes,

Both Silver and Gold.

A warrior is gone,

And with death there is sorrow,

As their family lets go,

A Gold Star in the window.

A warrior is wounded,

Life has been changed,

For a Silver Star family,

Life is never the same.

Silver and Gold,

They both have seen loss,

Precious their medal,

Two paths that cross.

Silver and Gold,

When joined together,

Gives strength to both,

Supporting each other.

Silver and Gold,

Working for good,

Making sure we remember,

They gave what they could.

Silver and Gold,

Silver and Gold,

Families of heroes,

Both Silver and Gold.

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I Choose, You Choose

Today I begin a new decade of life, and I’ve thought about where I have been, and where I choose to go.

I choose to be the kind of family member that all in my family can be proud to have stand beside them.

I choose to be the kind of friend that I would want for myself.

I choose to live by choice, not by chance.

To make changes, not excuses.

To be motivated, not manipulated.

To be useful, not used.

To excel, not compete.

I choose to listen to my inner voice, my soul, not the random opinions of others.

I choose to follow my Lord, where ever He leads.

My choices are mine, just as your choices are yours…

Choose well, life doesn’t give you “do-overs”…but you can choose again, tomorrow.

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Labor Day

Labor Day always makes me think more of giving birth than of the years I spent in the workforce.  I have given birth to four beautiful children.  The day my youngest was born was almost his last as well.  After an emergency C-section to save his life, time, and time again, the fight to insure his safety would be a life long battle.  As an infant, then as a child, and then as a young adult, the fight for my son, Marine Cpl. Aaron Mankin, has at times been difficult.

But everything he has gone through, has made him strong, as he moves through life leaving his mark with humility, honesty, and humor.

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You Just Don’t Know

You don’t know just how far you will go, or what you will do, to protect your own.  

Whether you are a service member, defending this country, or the one who is standing next to you.

Whether you are a parent, watching over your children as they grow.

Whether you are a mother, standing over your wounded warrior, your child, to insure they recieve the best care available.

You just don’t know… 

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A Parent Beyond Measure

The youngest of my four children, Aaron Mankin, is a grown man, single father of two small children, nationally known public speaker, and a medically retired marine who will always have to deal with the effects of war.  He has come to accept the scars he wears as badges of honor.  But the hidden scars are the nightmares he will deal with, in one form or another, for the rest of his life, and he does this with humor, humility and honor…

The difficulty of being a single father has been, at times, overwhelming.  But Aaron has risen to the needs of his children, and put his needs somewhere in the background.  His two children are loved and cared for so deeply; they always come first.

The parent he has become is beyond measure, and I’m so very proud of him.

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