A Reminder

I was reminded this week that it has been a full year since we welcomed home our son-in-law and his troops. A year since we paced in anticipation of their arrival, since we waved our flags, made posters, held the hands of the 'wives' and mothers and fathers and sons and daughters. A year since we stood in the hangar and let the emotion of that day wash over us and spill into the air in the form of cheers and tears.

In this year, this very full year, so much has changed in our lives. Events have occurred, the holidays came and went, the seasons changed, jobs
changed, transfers happened and new
life was started. We breathed again. We relaxed. They were home and they were safe.

The wars continue, their controversy spelled out daily in the news, the arguments over whether we should be there or not go on and while we care, while we want it to be over, want everyone home, I am embarrassed to admit that it became somewhat distant for me again. Distant in the sense that those soldiers I know personally are not in danger, they are away from the front lines, they are home.

My complacency was shaken, shaken violently a few weeks ago when we received word that someone was injured, injured beside others who were killed, someone who means a lot to one of our soldiers, someone who by the nature of her relationship with one of ours, means a lot to us.

The sacrifice our soldiers make for us, their selflessness, their willingness to leave all they know and love and bear the burden of freedom overwhelms me and I am grateful once again.