Veteran’s Day is a time of reflection. I do not have family members currently serving to protect our country, but I reflect on the members of our family who did serve and how their service shaped their lives. My dad served as an officer in the US Army medical corps in the Korean War, stationed in Japan. True to his nature, my dad lived his life, including his time in service, with a “cup is half full, not half empty” mindset. From Japan, he called my mother at her home in Brookline, MA and proposed. My mother, who had never been on an airplane, accepted and flew to Japan to marry the love of her life. I have told this story many times in my life because it is romantic and unusual and I feel love and pride in how devoted my parents were to one another. On this Veteran’s Day, it has occurred to me that being in an active war, although not on the front lines, my dad did not want to wait to marry my mom upon his return to the states. War, as we see in so many countries and regions of the world today, brings into focus for those experiencing the uncertainty, what is truly important in life, being with those we love. My parents lived and traveled extensively throughout Japan during the first 22 months of their marriage. We grew up hearing many stories of their adventures together there. The stories of war and his role in service were missing in these conversations. This, I believe was my dad’s way of focusing on the joy of life with my mom, and their life together. My father’s positive attitude in life as exemplified through every challenge that life brought, was one of enormous resilience. As I have researched more extensively recently, we can all develop the skills needed to build resilience which supports us through life’s transitions. Thank you, dad, for being such a role model and for your service to our country.