Memorial Day, 2010

If there has ever been a year where Memorial Day has meaned more, it's this year.

Yesterday, my brother, Patrick, left Vegas from his R&R from Iraq. Patrick is in the US Army, and he's been in Iraq for 6 months now, and he has another 6 months to go. He's amazing- so positive about everything. We were lucky enough to see him for almost half of his trip back here to The States: we went back to Vegas to have Will baptized (Patrick is Will's Godfather) in the same chapel where Patrick was baptized almost 25 years ago. He then came back to LA with us to spend a couple of fun days here at the beach and visiting my other sister, Liz. We were so lucky to see him.

When I asked my mom how she felt about sending Patrick off yesterday, she told me that it was harder than she had anticipated, b/c she's not sure when she and my dad will see him again. Traveling is hard on anyone, and poor Pat has crossed the world many times over to come and see us. Sending your son back to a warzone isn't exactly easy, too. :(

I also have some good friends whose husbands are either currently in Iraq, or will be going to the Middle East soon. My brother-in-law, Andy, is also in that group- this will be his second deployment in a year and a half, leaving my sister with her two young boys. In fact, all of my friends whose husbands are gone or leaving have young children and/or babies. Anyone who has ever had to contend with children and babies who do not understand why their daddy/mommy is not there understands how hard this can be. It takes an amazingly special person to be a military spouse. I can honestly say that the sacrifices military families make are only surpassed by few- it's a lifestyle that you have to constantly recommit yourself to, and one you always have to keep an "eyes on the prize" approach about. It's HARD, and we are lucky as a country to have so many families that choose to support our military on the homefront.

Lately, I've been so appreciative about those American families who lived through all of our respective wars. I think about my Grandmother and Grandfather, who both served in the US Navy during World War II, and how their service made our lives what they are today. I think about how, when I was younger, my grandmother brought out her scrapbook full of her war memoriabilia, and how she had page after page of newspaper clippings of friends and family who paid the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. She still gets teary-eyed about it. When she tells her stories about how, when she was serving in the Navy's WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service), they had to literally turn out the lights in Miami to avoid being hit my submarine fire, it almost sounds mythological. We just don't even THINK about that in today's age. But it happened, and not that long ago. We have such short-term memories. If it weren't for people like my grandparents, we would not have the sense of security that we have today.

As I look at my babies, I hope that their lives are as comfortable and as easy as mine has been. I realize that the short-term pain of having their daddy being gone is worth the long-term gain of their security and safety. It's often hard to explain that to a THREE-YEAR-OLD, and even harder for a two-year-old (our newborn is obviously clueless), but it's something that we talk about often. Daddy puts on a uniform every day, and while his travels may not have brought him back to the Middle East lately (he's been there before, though), he's still away from us and making our country a better and easier place to live.

So, on this Memorial Day, please take a moment to think about how many people you know who are putting on a uniform and lacing up their boots every day to make sure that we sleep peacefully at night. Think about, also, all of those who lost their lives in order to keep the stripes and stars on our flag the bright and strong colors that they are. Every single name on a tombstone represent someone's son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister, aunt or uncle...everyone was loved, and they loved enough to sacrifice for others.

God bless America and all of those who serve.