Freedom Is Not Free

🫡 I awakened this morning with a strong sense of gratitude for these United States of America and my fellow military service members who have honorably served to protect the freedoms we enjoy.⁣

I spent the day with my family visiting the many monuments in our nation’s capital erected to help us remember the price of our freedom.⁣⁣

I watched families enjoy the rainbow pool at the World War II Memorial that sits strategically between the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial. ⁣

I arrived at the Korean War Memorial just in time to witness the color guard ceremony. The Wall of Remembrance includes the names of 36,574 American servicemen and 7,200+ members of the Korean Augmentation to the US Army who gave their lives defending the people of South Korea. Opposite this wall counting of the war’s toll, another granite wall bears a message inlaid in silver: 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞.⁣

I concluded my Veterans Day monument tour at the nearby Lincoln Memorial where I once again read these poignant words from President Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address penned in his efforts to give meaning to the sacrifice of soldiers who died during the American Civil War: “…𝘸𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘭𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘯 - 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘪𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘰𝘮 - 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩.”⁣

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During my Veterans Day memorial tour in our nation’s capital, I’ve reflected on the freedoms that we enjoy as Americans while recognizing that the full realization of these freedoms still escapes many of us. ⁣

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Although I no longer wear BDUs and carry a M16 rifle while serving in a war campaign on foreign soil, I’m engaged in a battle for diversity, equity, inclusion & belonging (DEIB) right here in the places where we work and live. ⁣

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I choose to fight against mindsets and systems that counter the proposition “𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘭𝘭 [𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦] 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭”. I engage in this battle as an HR, business & ministry leader, as an executive coach, as a wife & mother, and as a proud US Army Veteran. 🇺🇸

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Regina Ross is a certified HR & Change Management Practitioner and ICF-credentialed Executive Coach with a passion for helping unlock individual & organizational potential. Contact Regina at ✉reginaross@walkonpurpose.com or www.walkonpurpose.com/contact.