A Somber Note

Today has been bittersweet from the beginning. Nothing of true significance has really happened, except what I discovered on Facebook this morning. I saw that a friend of mine from my hometown joined a group in memory of a soldier. The name didn't automatically stand out to me, but when I clicked on the link and saw the face, my heart stopped for a moment. Yet another young man that I went to high school with passed away while fighting overseas with the military. That makes three young men alone that have died that I went to high school with. The town that I grew up in isn't tiny, but it's not very large either ... especially not when I was growing up there. So to know three guys that have passed ... it tugs at my heart. It quite honestly brings tears to my eyes. I didn't know any of them especially well. We definitely weren't best friends or anything of the sort. But the fact that I knew their faces, their stories, I saw them daily walking down the hallways around me ... it hits home in a very real way. They're such brave men to go do what they did, and I hope the list ends with them, though I know there's a very real possibility that as time passes, I will add more names to the list and more "R.I.P." groups to my Facebook page. I know far too many left our town to serve their country, and not all of them will come home, though I can pray to the contrary. Until that time, I will continue to honor the ones who've died by remembering their names, their faces, and their ultimate sacrifices.

Mini M - With every post I make, I know I'll think of you, especially today. You come from a Navy family. Your Pop Pop and Nana both served, and so did your daddy. They all served proudly and believed so strongly in their duty to their country. They've all known sacrifice, though luckily it has never been the ultimate price they've had to pay. Someday you'll face the choice of joining the military or not. Regardless, I hope that you'll carry the pride with you that we all carry in our hearts and remember that your freedom has never come without a price. Take advantage of every opportunity you meet, simply because you have been afforded that luxury. I love you, Bubba.