There shall be eternal summer in the grateful heart.
~Celia Thaxter

Out of all the seasons in the year, there’s no denying that summertime holds a special kind of magic. It’s the time when fireflies and fireworks light up dark, starry nights. A time when long, sunshine-soaked days are filled with trips to swimming pools and lakes, slip and slides, and snow cones.

But my favorite part of summer is baseball.

Baseball, to me, not only epitomizes summer, but also the heart-warming pride and patriotism of serving on active duty in this great country. And once you serve in the military, celebrations of patriotism and everything that comes with it will never be the same in your heart.

I had served on active duty for eight years and separated, while my husband had remained in the service. We had just been re-assigned to Maryland with the Air Force, and after waiting for months, summer finally came. We found ourselves at a baseball game in the Washington Nationals stadium.

I was not prepared for the overwhelming flood of emotion and pride that would come that day in the ballpark. You see, it was Military Appreciation Day.

The day started with a ceremony honoring World War II veterans. Some were on walkers, some in wheelchairs, but the pride radiating from these brave soldiers was unmistakable as their smiles and tears lit up the stadium on the big broadcasting screen.

Members from each branch of the armed services proudly marched out onto the field, each service flag held and presented with perfect precision.

Goosebumps shot down my arms as the Air Force Color Guard presented the nation’s colors, and the National Anthem was sung.

During the fourth inning, the scoreboard lit up with an announcement for fans to stand and wave their caps in salute to veterans. That was quite a sight — everyone in the stadium on their feet and waving.

But it was the seventh-inning stretch that had me fighting back tears.

A long-time baseball tradition, the seventh-inning stretch is the time when the audience sways and sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” Often, “God Bless America” is played in addition to it, or sometimes replaces it entirely.

However, on this day, just before the stretch, the announcer asked all members who were serving on active duty and veterans in the audience to please stand.

I hadn’t expected to be recognized, and was a little embarrassed actually to call attention to ourselves and stand. But we stood.

Scattered around the stadium, people got to their feet and stood, while the crowd roared around us. They didn’t have to acknowledge us, and no one asked them to clap; they could have just as easily continued with their conversations and food. But they didn’t.

Several people close to us clasped our shoulders or took our hands and said, “Thank you.” Even people who weren’t close enough to touch made eye contact with us and mouthed those two simple words.

As a service member, we don’t often stop to think about what those simple, yet very heartfelt thank-yous mean. We aren’t a group that tends to call attention to ourselves, and being recognized for acts of bravery, sacrifice, and heroism can actually be difficult to accept. “It’s just what we do,” we say. Or, “Anyone in my shoes would do the same.”

But that day, the flood of a thousand thank-yous, both said and unsaid, wrapped around us in a blanket of gratitude. It was in the eyes of a little girl with a Popsicle-stained face. A teenager who stopped texting long enough to look up. A set of parents wearing the unmistakable look of hope, pride, and fear because they, too, had a loved one serving somewhere in the world.

There were looks that said:

Thank you for serving, to protect me and my family.

Thank you for volunteering, wherever the military takes you, to protect us. Because you answered the call of service, millions of Americans can sleep safely in their beds, while someone keeps an ever vigilant watch. Thank you for standing up and saying yes, while so many others cannot, or even will not.

Thank you for your sacrifice, and for the sacrifices your family makes, to preserve and protect our great nation.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

One of the first things we learned in the military is that it is an honor to serve. It’s why we adhere to customs and courtesies, protocols and tradition as deeply as we do. We honor those who have come before us; we honor each other; we honor our heroes and our fallen. We honor our country.

When the days grow long and warm, my mind often floats back to the overwhelming feeling of gratitude and honor we felt that day, as thousands of people we didn’t know cheered for us: their service members and veterans.

The knowledge that I’ve served in the armed forces is always there, even if it’s not always front and center. But the legacy of having served holds a special place for me during the summer.

That day, and that particular seventh-inning stretch, forever linked summertime and the honor of being trusted to serve deep in my heart.

~Kristi Adams