Speaking with my Grandpa over breakfast at Hartbrook Cafe, he gradually works on a fried egg over fried rice. It’s the same thing he ate daily while serving in Taiwan. Sharing his stories, he says, “The United States is distinguished from the rest of the world due to a multitude of factors, but one of the greatest granted gifts is to enact the lives we want to live.”

Just over a year ago, I turned my back to my morning classes and enjoyed one of Nashotah’s hidden treasures. Knocking my knuckles against the grain of the finished rustic door twice, I held the second glass door open, waiting. I thought, He’s most likely been waiting all morning. The man knows his schedule like the back of his han—when the wood door swung inward. We walked, side by side, towards the car we financed and improved together.

My grandpa, a gift that never stops giving, couldn’t help but complain about the weather while we journeyed back to school. Although he always finds a way to complain, his excitement surfaced. We neared a breakfast honoring our veterans. The thought of what curriculum I should be learning was absent, but my love and gratitude were also surfacing.

A cafeteria: on first sight, I saw it contained military uniforms and breakfast. Upon closer inspection, I saw it also contained smiles, hugs, laughs, flowers, and “I love yous”. I sat in a room brimming with people who have seen the worst of what the world has to offer. Yet gratitude, love, and happiness were the only apparent emotions.

Surrounded by people who have every reason to wallow and grieve, I observed they chose their lives, love, and accomplishments to value. They didn’t spend  time being fettered by a long life, an aging body, or misfortunes. In a choice-composed life, the veterans all chose what was of significance to them. They spoke and took action upon what they value.