I've been visiting U.S. Military bases throughout Europe over the past ten days with some remarkable individuals who have been sharing their stories of success after loosing a leg or a foot or a friend. I remarked to some friends before I left, 'It's going to be interesting experiencing an election from across the pond.' What I've experienced in my conversations with troops and social media scrolling in the past few days can be summed up by one of the greatest ladies I know, Jillian of The Noisy Plume in her latest blog post (You can read the whole thing HERE).

“We survived the election but we’re still sick of it and nothing has changed — the left hates the right and the right cannot stand the left and everyone is terrified of everyone. The hysteria is exhausting and the journalism is still revoltingly biased (Where are our real journalists? Where is the truth? Am I clinging to a romantic ideal???).

That said, nothing seems especially hopeless to me. There will be no doom and gloom in my space regarding politics. Here’s what I do have to say though, there’s this notion that change can only stem directly from a government mandate. I don’t think that’s true. Change begins small and then goes viral as our communities alter themselves and connect with other communities on the same path.

Change your own heart, broaden it, expand the way you see the immediate world around you. Believe and treat others as though their suffering is greater than yours. GET OVER YOURSELF. Know your neighbors. Care for the needs of your neighbors. Invest your heart, soul and life in your community. Provide, however you can, for those who need extra help. Stick up for the little guy. Stand up to the bullies (despite what you’ve been told, they come in all shapes and colors, they aren’t just white men). Teach your children right from wrong, show them how to be courageous and how to work hard, encourage their imaginations, impress upon them the importance of beauty, help them to love nature. Work hard, stay humble and be honest. You don’t need a federal government to legislate any of this. This change comes from within you, as a result of your choices and how you decide to use your time, your days, your life.”

— Jillian Lukiwski (The Noisy Plume)

As I walked the rows and rows of white crosses and stars I studied the names, their ages, their home state and silently thanked them for their sacrifice during WWII. As one of the speakers said today at the Veterans Day Ceremony at General Patton's tomb in Luxembourg, "The United States of America will only remain the land of the free so long as it is the home of the brave". So thank you to every veteran past and present for your service to this great nation - we all owe you a great debt of gratitude that we can only pay forward by being patient, kind and gracious to one another.