A Season of Gratitude & Remembrance

Dear Friends,

Today, I find myself thinking about gratitude.

In 1944, Christmas cards like the one below were created for residents living in the newly liberated areas of the Netherlands. Families who had taken American soldiers into their homes sent these cards to the young men who had returned to the front lines, many facing an uncertain future.

Our Dutch partner at the Foundation for Adopting Graves at the American Cemetery Margraten recently shared this extraordinary card with me as a reminder of how enduring those bonds became. The words inside speak of gratitude for liberty regained, of faith during sacrifice, and of hope that these soldiers would return home safely, carrying with them a fond remembrance of “Little Holland.”

Gratitude did not end with liberation; it became a lifelong commitment to honor the fallen and care for their memory. Eighty years later, that promise is still being kept.

This Christmas, I’m thinking of the boys who received cards like this, and grateful for the families who never stopped remembering them. 

I’m also thinking of the brave men and women in uniform serving around the world who cannot be home with their families today, and of a simple truth understood in 1944: that being remembered matters.

May this holiday bring cherished memories and the hope of peace for all.

With warm wishes,

Robert