06/18/2026
For the longest time, I felt awkward when people walked up to me and said, 'Thank you for your service.'
As our nation recently celebrated Memorial Day, it was a natural time to reflect on the past decade of my family's life in the Navy. After finishing twelve weeks of Officer Candidate School and going through two years of flight school, so many people would say that five-word phrase to me. Yet, I wasn't sure I understood why they were saying it, or what I had done to 'deserve' their gratitude.
Nowadays, when people say, 'thank you for your service,' many of us think back to the early 2000s after the 9-11 attack and the wars in the Middle East, where thousands paid the ultimate sacrifice.
It is, of course, a loaded phrase. There are so many reasons to appreciate Americans who volunteer for military service. However, after having my three children and deploying on three different ships totaling over a year and a half, I recognize — even if people don't realize it themselves — that they're thanking me and my family for sacrificing our most precious asset: our time.
This is an excerpt from my monthly newsletter, Outlive the Ordinary. You can subscribe here: outlivefinancial.com/newsletter
