Veteran's Day
And the Seven of Swords
While thinking about Veteran’s Day today, I encountered the following quote from Ronald Reagan:
“Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they have ever made a difference in the world. A Veteran doesn’t have that problem.”
To contemplate the President’s words with the symbolism of the Tarot, I shuffled my deck and drew the Seven of Swords:
Seeing the Seven of Swords here, I can’t help but think of confidence. The confidence of, as the quote alludes, knowing that one did his part.
I entered adulthood in a time of peace. The Soviet Union was rapidly dying, the Cold War had been won, and it seemed as if peace would long reign. The 9/11 terrorist attack in New York City was long off in the future.
Because of that, I didn’t serve. There certainly didn’t seem, in those days, much of a need for young men to take up arms in defense of our nation.
But, I still sometimes feel guilty about that. Guilty about the fact that my father, my grandfather, and so many other men I admire stepped up in times of war. Yet I didn’t. I recognize that this is an irrational guilt, as our country wasn’t involved in a war when I was of prime age to serve, but the guilt is there, nevertheless.
President Reagan’s words are true, our veterans don’t carry that guilt. They can know, as our Seven of Swords symbolizes, they can confidently know, that when their country needed them, they did their part.
On this Veteran’s Day, I give my sincere Thanks to all who have served in the cause of the free world.
A wee bit of shameless self promotion:
This was a very good piece. Thank you.
There are many forms of service, not all of them require a uniform. We each have the opportunity to make the daily choice to uphold the tenets on which this nation was founded upon. Supporting efforts through our individual actions that strengthen the rights to "Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Ensuring that those rights are not eroded or hindered by any who take them from any individual or group. We each must play our part to the best of our abilities, no matter what that role may be, to ensure a lasting and enduring legacy.