“The cost of freedom is always high, but Americans have always paid it. And one path we shall never choose, and that is the path of surrender.” – John F. Kennedy

Honor Doesn’t Expire

There’s a medal that no one wants to earn. One that comes wrapped in pain, blood, and grit.
The Purple Heart.

It’s not awarded for effort or for being the best shot.
It’s awarded for sacrifice.
For taking the hit and not quitting.
For bleeding and still standing for something bigger.

Purple Heart Day is observed every year on August 7. It honors the brave service members who were wounded or killed in combat. The award traces back to George Washington, who created the original “Badge of Military Merit” in 1782. The modern Purple Heart was established in 1932, and since then, over 1.8 million Americans have received it. Each one is a quiet monument to grit, sacrifice, and service.

As dads, we’re not dodging bullets or jumping on grenades.
But we are fighting battles.
The battle to be present.
To provide.
To stay patient when everything in us is ready to snap.
To lead with love, even when life feels like a war zone.

The lesson of the Purple Heart?
You show up.
Even when it hurts.
Even when you’re tired.
Even when you’re not sure you’re making a difference.

Our kids may never know the quiet battles we fight for them, the ones that leave us exhausted, stressed, and doubting ourselves.
But they don’t need to know the details.
They just need to feel the result.
To know that Dad was there. Solid. Unshaken. Still in the fight.

Take a moment today to talk to your kids about what sacrifice means.
Let them know this freedom they enjoy—this backyard, this baseball glove, this Netflix show—it wasn’t free.
Someone earned it with flesh and bone.

So, stand a little taller today, Dad.
Lead with gratitude.
And remind your kids—some heroes wear capes, but the real ones wear scars.