The soldiers in the stars

A teacher explains the world to her class. Veterans day

Today we sat in a circle, on the floor and we sang songs about colors, and about shapes, and about the days of the week.

And then we counted the days on the calender, and talked about what we had learned.

"So, do you know what day it is? Do you know why today is special? What makes today different from the other days of the year?" I ask my class.

They shake their heads, looking confused. All, that is, but for one.

"Today was a big heroes parade. But nobody was there but grandparents. All the other people were

working." he said.

"So, who are heroes?" I ask.

"Batman!" "Superman!" "Ninja Turtles!"

"Those are pretend heroes. Who are the real heroes?" I ask.

"The police and the soldiers"

"What about the veterans?" I ask

"What are veterans?"

"When a soldier has served his country, and he goes home to his family he is a veteran. Girls can be veterans too. Any soldier who goes home is a veteran"

"So ever soldier grows up to be a veteran?"

"Not quite. All soldiers are all ready grown up. And ever soldier who gets to come home is a veteran."

"But what about the ones who don't get to come home?" They ask.

"They get to be forever heroes, they become stars in the sky and shine for their country and to protect the younger soldiers." One boy says, saving me from the question "That is what my grandpa told me."

"That is a good way to think of it" I answer.

One of the girls sighs really deeply. "Does that mean that they die? Mom said that the stars are where angles live, so to be up there they would have to die. That is what mommy said."

All eyes are on me, looking anxiously, waiting for the answer.

"Yes"

Ten shocked faces looking at me through big eyes. "Why would they do that? Did their mommies forget to tell that that sometimes soldiers can die?"

"No." I say fighting to keep cheerful "They knew when they decided to be soldiers that they may not get to come home"

"They knew they might die? Then why would they be a soldier?!?"

I though about it. I knew the answer. I knew so well, but how do you put it into words. My brother is military, my father and grandfather were. My Uncle was.

I wanted to go, and I would have followed if I could have, I would have been there, beside my brothers and sisters, in the sand. I know too well the voice calling from your heart, the pull you feel to serve. The love of country, the pride and honor of the uniform, and the hope of tomorrow. Had I been in full health I would have gone, and sometimes I still fell the sadness that my own body denied me the chance.

So, how do I explain this...

"Do you know what freedom is?"

"It means that an animal does not belong to someone"

"What does freedom mean when you are talking about people?"

They look shocked.

"People cannot belong to people"

"What is a king, then" I ask them.

"Someone who owns a kingdom"

"And what does a kingdom have?"

"People" Now they look horrified "You mean a stranger can put you in time out like your mommy does?"

"Yes, that also means that they can take your money, or your house, or even choose what you can and cannot have in your closet" I answer. "And we live in a place where there is no king, We live in the United States, and in the United States we are free. Sometimes though, people want to take away our freedom, and sometimes there are people who want to hurt us."

"But" they ask sounding very concerned "Someone has to stop them"

"Someone does stop them. Soldiers stop them."

The room is so quiet, no one even dared breath.

"Someone needs to tell them thank you" she said sadly, almost in a whisper.

"We do" I smile "Every Veterans day"

"That's not enough. My daddy says he loves me ever single day. So why can we only say it once a year?" the boy asked.

"We should. But, just like you have only one birthday every year, we have a special parade every year"

"Well I want to say it every day" He said.

"You can." so I lead them through the Pledge of Allegiance.

There was a moment of silence at the end. and the little girl in the back stood up and, at the top of her voice "Amen!"

"Are the Grandmas and Grandpas at the parade all Veterans?"

"Most likely" I answer

"Then next year we need to all go to the parade, so we can tell the veterans thank you, and so they won't feel like they got forgotten. I would feel lonely like that if no one was at my parade" says the boy who had spent the morning at our local veterans day parade.

"We for got something!" yells the girl who said 'amen'. She folds her hands and closes her eyes

"God, please tell the soldiers in the stars thank you, and please give them a big parade today"