This Veteran's Day, R.I.P. Maggie Dixon

Today is Veteran's Day, and it's also my brother's birthday...my little bro is 25 now, and I can't believe it. Happy Birthday Brian, you're the best. :)

Today is set aside to honor the warriors who go into battle and defend us, our nation, and our way of life...freedom. This Veteran's Day, I'd like to honor someone who wasn't a soldier herself, but who played a role just as important as a soldier...a basketball coach who helped young women athletes/soldiers-in-training to become quality people in addition to fierce defenders. Maggie Dixon, age 28, electrified the NCAA by taking a women's hoops team from Army that had become accustomed to losing on the court as much as the football team had on the field in recent years, and turning them into Patriot League champs and taking them to the NCAA tournament in her very first year as a coach. Although they lost to the Lady Vols in the 1st round, the turnaround was nothing short of miraculous...but more than that, the passion with which she lived and coached, her love and concern for her players and her family, and her drive to succeed touched everyone around her.

Sadly, Maggie died in April of a congenital heart defect at the ripe old age of 28, only a year older than myself. She made such an impact at Army that she was given a military funeral and memorial service, an honor usually reserved for generals and others who have given their lives in service to our country. This article is just heartbreaking, and this reminds me a lot of Abraham Lincoln...having accomplished so much against such long odds, then dying before seeing the seeds (s)he planted grow to full fruition and before getting the credit (s)he so richly deserved. This Veteran's Day, here's to you Maggie Dixon, you lived well, you impacted some of our young defenders' lives in the best of ways, and for that, we are in your debt...thank you for your service. Not many can say this, but the world is a substantially better place for your time here. May God welcome you, and may He comfort your family as they grieve your loss and celebrate your life.