When a holiday comes and goes, we often see remnants of the celebration left behind. For Halloween, trick-or-treaters that practice candy rationing enjoy their sugary treats for long after Nov. 1. Thanksgiving leftovers can stuff the refrigerator for weeks, providing many-a-midnight-feast. Easter eggs that have been hidden well enough may continue to be found months after the very last egg hunt.

One holiday that often seems to be quickly forgotten, however, is Veterans Day.

Each year, Veterans Day serves as a reminded opportunity for citizens to recognize, thank and honor military veterans from all over. But without the candy and glamour that other holidays provide, Veterans Day can sometimes abruptly disappear after Nov. 11. The veterans that we are lucky enough to still have with us remain present after Veterans Day, so why do we seem to forget their heroism so quickly?

We can thank and cherish our veterans long after this holiday is over. Reach out to local organizations that assist veterans and ask about opportunities to volunteer or help out. Many veterans themselves partake in charitable actions. Perhaps donate to your local Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve, or gather the family around the computer to research about veterans organizations that you may personally want to donate toward. Even something like exercising your right to vote is a year-round way to say thank you to those who have worked to give you that right and protect it.

Additionally, continue to thank your community veterans well after Veterans Day has passed. It’s easy to feel shy about thanking someone for their service. You may be surprised, however, to learn how much your words may mean to someone that has sacrificed for their country.

Reach out to neighbors, members of your church, or other local community members that have served in the U.S. armed forces. If you know of a veteran that is in need of emotional or financial support, work with them to locate organizations that can help. See what you can do to make their day, any of their days, a little better. Sometimes a simple conversation can mean the world to someone whose service may go unrecognized the other 364 days of the year.

I ask that just like Halloween, Thanksgiving or Easter, you and your family continue to celebrate this holiday well beyond Nov. 11. Remember to always give your thanks to members of the armed forces and live like every day is Veterans Day.

ALEXA MASSEY is a staff reporter for The Farmville Herald and Farmville Newsmedia LLC. Her email address is Alexa.Massey@FarmvilleHerald. com.