This week I had the privilege of playing for Phil James' funeral. Phil was a real patriot who fought in World War II as part of the Navy. He lost two of his brothers in the war and went on to be a beloved husband and father.

As I heard "Taps" played by his grave site, I was reminded of how much our servicemen sacrifice for us every day. We get caught up in day to day things and forget that there are people putting their lives on the line for us every day. I also thought about how much we owe the people who died for our freedom in World War II. Those people were true heroes and I appreciate them. If you are serving our country in any way I would like to sincerely thank you.

There were a lot of people at the funeral today. Obviously, Mr. James touched a lot of people in his life. Some of you may think playing a funeral is a depressing thing but that's not true. As a musician, I get to play on very significant days: weddings, showers, anniversaries, graduations, award ceremonies, retirement parties and even funerals. Many of these events make me stop and consider my own life. Today I was inspired by a man who had a positive effect on the world. He not only left behind a wonderful family but also fought for me.

Thank you, Phil.