For some, Memorial day is a day off, a day of store sales, or a day they get to relax with friend and family. For me and my family, it’s something much different. All of you may not know this, but my husband and I got married when we were 18. You see, he had joined the Army and we were starting our life together, well at least the first 10 days of it, and then he was off to boot camp. 😉 The next 6 months he was gone for training and then we were off to our first duty station. We figured it would be Alabama, but God had other plans! We found out we were headed to Germany, and oh yeah! We were pregnant with our first child. 🙂
The first few years I did not like it there. It was cold, we never got to travel because of Darryl’s work, and we were far from family. But something changed about 2 years into our time there, and I began loving it. It was right about the time we started traveling, and I met some really amazing friends who grew to be my family away from family. Anyway, long story short, we spent 4.5 years there, had 2 babies on the german economy, made friends, had an amazing church, and grew together as a family.
I don’t think we would have grown that much in 4.5 years had it not been for that move. But also, had it not been for those PEOPLE.
Our Army friends can’t be replaced by any others. They are the strongest, most wonderful people I know. I had friends who’s husbands were gone for 15 months, and they were in another country having to do it all on their own with their kids. And they did, with SUCH amazing grace. And you know what? Quite a few of them are going through it all over again. My heart is sad for them, but again, they are tough, they deal, and they do it so well.
So this memorial day, I’m thinking of them. The silent ranks, the ones left behind. Because they are heroes too.
Of course, we can’t forget the ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice. One I knew personally was Sgt. Kenny Bostic. He was a friend of the family and a wonderful person. In 2006, two months before he was due to come home from a year long deployment, he was killed by a sniper. He gave all. He made it possible for me to be sitting here in my warm, comfortable home, with my kids, writing this. Thank you Kenny.
(left to right, Kenny, my brother in law, my husband, 2005)
Thank you military members past and present. Thank you silent ranks. Thank you to my friends going through yet another deployment. I will never ever forget the sacrifices you’ve made. Freedom isn’t free, but we have it because of you.
(My husband and 2 boys..Luxembourg American National Military Cemetary, 2008)
