I had an “it happened to me for the first time” moment on Thanksgiving. I would like to share it with you as my first “gift” of this Christmas season.

Each year Thanksgiving signifies the kick off of the “Christmas giving season.” The tradition is now a part of Americana in that the day after Thanksgiving is known to the stores as “Black Friday.”

This year I was lamenting the hectic-ness of the holiday season as I saw folks lining up at the Fry’s Electronics store on Baseline and I-10 on Thanksgiving eve. “The stores, parking lots, malls will be mobbed till Christmas,” I thought as I gazed on the spectacle.

Later that evening I went with my family to the ASU/USC football game in Tempe. Tired from the trip, we went to the ball game only to find a huge crowd and seats not exactly as close as I thought they were. Parking was impossible and the long walk to the stadium only made the long hike up to the top of the stadium seem even longer. The game didn’t go well for the home team and cautious optimism turned to –“Well, there goes the Rose Bowl.”

On the long walk back to the car, we were all cold and tired. After we pulled out of the parking garage, we drove down the side street and stumbled on an unexpected gift.

As a family, we all spotted two guys walking briskly across the side street somewhat shadowed from the streetlight by a tree. My eyes were drawn to the fact that the young man on the left had shorts, a T-shirt and sleeveless vest on. I, myself, was freezing and wearing a long sleeved shirt, pants, a hat and gloves.

When we pulled up close to the corner to turn, I had to check out this guy with the shorts and T-shirt who was waiting to cross at the light.

And then it happened to me ….my “first time” moment. The guy who was wearing the “summer” clothing and engrossed in a lively conversation, gesturing animatedly with his friend while strutting across the crosswalk gave me the “first gift” of the holiday season.

You see, the shorts let me and my family know that prosthetic legs don’t seem to feel the cold like ours. We all knew instantly that this young man was one of the disabled vets of the war in Iraq introduced during halftime of the game.

It hit us just as hard that the sleeveless vest revealed prosthetic arms as well. The best I could muster through the dead silence of my family were six words…”God Bless You…God Bless You.”

So there you are….the first gift of the Christmas season just before midnight on Thanksgiving.

During this hectic holiday season I’d like to pass along the gift this “vet” had given us. We should never forget those brave sons and daughters who have risked life and limb so that we may live with the freedoms that are our gifts this holiday season and all the year through.

Enjoy the Journey,
Bob

Bob Oro is a husband, parent, dentist, and children’s advocate in Oro Valley.

Excerpt: “Enjoy the Journey,” by Robert J. Oro