On Nov. 7, I had the honor of serving as the keynote speaker for the City of Dade City’s Veterans Day celebration in Florida. I stood before veterans, military families, community leaders and neighbors with one message: Family doesn’t stop at blood.
I am not a veteran. I am a military daughter, raised in a community where service was never limited to the person wearing the uniform. My father, retired U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Rob McGregor, taught me that supporting military families is a responsibility we share.
I began helping with military family assistance efforts when I was 5. I helped collect and distribute donations, supported events and learned that even a child could make a difference. I was a very sassy 5-year-old, and, as I joked during my speech, that hasn’t changed much!
Growing up around servicemembers taught me that the military family reaches beyond relatives. It includes the neighbors who show up, the volunteers who give their time, the people who sit beside someone grieving and the veterans who make sure the next generation is not forgotten.
Today, I carry those lessons into my work with Gordon M. Crothers American Legion Auxiliary Unit 15 in Dade City. Our American Legion Family brings people together through youth programs, community service, remembrance and support for veterans. We honor those who served not only with ceremonies, but with the work we do afterward.
Near the end of my remarks, I looked toward my dad. I remembered being a little girl in an Esmeralda dress, waiting for him to come home in his dress blues. In front of our community, I told him what I have always known: he is my hero.
That moment reminded me why I accepted the invitation to speak. You do not have to wear a uniform to honor the people who do. You can serve by listening, volunteering, teaching, advocating and showing up.
To our veterans: thank you for your service. To the families and communities who stand beside them: your service matters, too.
Family doesn’t stop at blood. And neither does our responsibility to care for one another.
