The phrase, “Freedom does not come free,” is used too often. It’s used at every military funeral, every July 4th celebration, Veteran’s Day and of course, Memorial Day — a day set aside for memorializing those who have died in the line of duty.

History is full of common people doing extraordinary things while they were doing what they thought was right. History is full of heroes, but in the United States we have thousands. Their names are etched into the Vietnam Memorial, they are in the scrapbooks of the widows they left behind and in the hearts of children when they say their prayers each night.

This Memorial Day, as boaters take to the Alabama River, worry about what gasoline will cost them as they cruise by their neighbors in life jackets — will they stop and remember?

As children color themselves in sidewalk chalk and their mothers have to throw all of their clothes in the washing machine — will they stop and remember?

Anyone who gets to take the day off of work, will they take a minute to stop and think about why they have the freedom of a holiday?

The noises of humming lawn mowers and the laughter of children is something we all together take for granted.

It is easy to thank those veterans as they stroll through a room wearing their uniforms, but it is much more difficult to grip the reality that somewhere, someone died to pay for freedom.

Our service men and women who died in the line of duty were just doing what they thought was right. They were fighting for causes that some of them signed up for and others were drafted into. They all served in many different capacities.

These soldiers contributed to our society and their loved ones still feel the hurt today.

On Memorial Day we often think of those who died in battles long ago, but there are many fresh wounds that have not yet healed for those families that lost someone in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Those soldier’s Facebook pages are now covered in posts reading, “We miss you,” and “Can’t wait to see you again one day.”

Freedom is not free. It also does not come without pain and glory.