03/02/2026
For four years I attended government contracting conferences.
At these events I often see officers in uniform. Rows of ribbons and badges across their chest.
For a long time I looked at them like decoration.
Meanwhile I recognize a designer handbag or jewelry in seconds.
Recently something registered with me.
Those ribbons are not decoration. Each ribbon represents service. Training. Deployments. Leadership. Responsibility.
It made me think about how many times I walked past men and women in uniform and never paused to acknowledge what those ribbons represent.
The ironic part.
My cottage looks like a patriotic display every summer.
American flags in the flower beds. Bunting across the porch. A red, white, and blue wreath on the door. Seven hydrangeas around the cottage.
In spring the cherry blossoms bloom in front and the whole place comes alive.
Every summer I climb up on the front porch roof and place the American flag myself. I take pride in doing it.
Last summer I slipped and fell. Both knees looked like I borrowed them from someone else. Still worth it.
My neighbors watch for it every year. They wait for the decorations to go up. Some call me Martha Stewart with a cottage.
One summer a young man stopped and asked me if I was American.
He walked closer and pointed to my flag. The direction was wrong. He explained how the flag should face and why it matters.
He taught me something important.
Later I attended a conference in Minneapolis. Before the event started the host flags were being placed and people were questioning the order.
I turned around and shared what that young man taught me.
If we display the flag, we should understand it and respect it.
When flags stand together, the United States flag holds the place of honor. State flags follow. Host or organizational flags come after.
That moment pushed me to learn more about the ribbons and badges I see on uniforms. They represent years of commitment and sacrifice.
You see, I was not born here.
Many people take this country for granted. I never have.
When I look at my child I feel something powerful.
No matter what I accomplish in life, I will never be what my child is by birth.
An American.
With everything happening in the world right now, this realization means even more to me.
So if I ever walked past someone in uniform and failed to say it.
Thank you for your service.
To the men and women who wear the uniform. Respect.
Now I cannot wait for spring. The cherry blossoms will bloom and the flag will go back up on the cottage.
