As I pushed back from a delicious Thanksgiving meal shared with family and friends, I thought about the many joys in my life. I have two wonderful sons; a nice home; great friends.

After dinner, we sat in the comfort of our home and enjoyed each other’s company; we kidded each other and laughed. Of course, we missed those we have lost but we had a very nice Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving night, after all of my company had gone their separate ways, I settled down and had a marathon session of watching the History Channel series on World War II.

As I sat there, comfortable and lazy from all of the turkey and side dishes, I started thinking about the sacrifices our men and women made during the war.

At first, it was just a thought, but as I watched more of the film from the war, I was reminded that I cannot begin to comprehend the sacrifices of these Americans.

Throughout the history of our country, our fellow Americans have been willing to leave their families and homes and go to faraway places in defense of our way of life. Because they have been willing to put themselves in harm’s way, I was able to enjoy my Thanksgiving.

We are at a busy time of year. We have just come off of one holiday and now we are rapidly approaching Christmas.

There are presents to buy, food to cook, parties to attend and more. We rush around so that by the new year, we are exhausted.

Squeezed in between Thanksgiving and Christmas is Pearl Harbor Day.

In the bustle of the holidays, we pause only briefly to take notice of this historic event and the sacrifices made by the men and women of our military. This year, spend a little more time reflecting on Pearl Harbor Day; think about the soldiers, sailors and air men who have gone to war for us.

This year, if you want to give a meaningful Christmas present, tell a veteran how truly grateful you are for his or her service to our country.