Oooh Rah!

I remember walking into the room seeing my dad after he got out of heart surgery several years ago. My first impulse was to wrap my arms around him and tell him that I loved him. He was so vulnerable and we needed him so much! It was a rough road he had to haul after that, but dad was a fighter.

It's funny how the things we have in life are so much more precious when you know you may lose them at any moment. Your day begins and ends thinking about it.

One of the great memories I have is the times when my dad use to take Jackie around and spending time with him. Dad was proud of him and would be even more so as he served our country. They did have a lot in common.

Tomorrow (May 2nd) is my son Jackie's birthday. He's the Marine in our family and for us guys represents the "good guys" we always pretended to be when we were kids! He's everything good about America... strong, independent, patriotic, and yet when he's with his family, sensitive and caring.

You hear the words recklessly thrown about on the news... "we support the troops"... what does that mean? Does it mean were behind what they do? Does it mean we're behind the people that command them? Does it mean that we don't begrudge funding them with whatever is necessary to do their job right? Does it mean that we're not constantly 2nd guessing their leaders at every chance we get? Does it mean that we are doing everything we can to help them achieve their objective with as little casualties as possible? I hope so.

My teenage years were the start of Vietnam. Although my draft number never came up, I wonder what my life would have been like if it did. Today while I was at home enjoying the freedoms that I barely appreciate, I had no fear of going out and being blown up, or shot at or for some getting beheaded. Yet, while you and I were at work or at home, my son was at work practicing what he needed to do to help keep that freedom. Some of his conversations were probably on some of his buddies that had just returned from war, or were just going into war, or it may have been about someone that was lost in battle. It seems so strange that as we go about our "normal" lives, his life and the lives of millions of others who have gone before him dealt with putting their life on the line.

It was only a few months ago, that he was constantly in our thoughts and prayers as he served in Iraq. Many nights I was burdened for his safety and the safety of his buddies that were there to bring freedom to a people that were killed and tortured by their leader. Our family travelled down to North Carolina just to welcome him and his buddies back. It was such a joy just to see his face as he got off the bus to return back to the base. You could tell it must have been bewildering to be one day being shot at and being aware of every little creak or groan, or suspicious face, or new dug up dirt in the road, to ... "hey, let's go have breakfast at Ihop!".

But lest I digress, Jackie, like the other Marines always downplayed the importance of what he did. "It's just my job", he'd say when you tried to make him out a hero (like he is).

Jackie being in the Marines brought into focus how fortunate that we live in a country where there are people that put their life on the line for our freedoms....and ask for nothing in return.

I'm thankful for Jackie, for his service, for being my son, and for the privilege of knowing him.