Heroes

Deep breath.  Exhale. Ok, I think I can write this post without crying. I think I can. We'll see.

Most of you know that I, like many others, come from a very strong line of military personnel.  I take pride in our family because of this, and can think of few other occupations that are more prestigious. Call me biased, and maybe I am, but my entire life I have watched the sacrifices- big and small, of those who choose to serve our country.

Praise God, I have never known a family in my lifetime that has lost a loved one in the service. But I would be lying if I said that wasn't my greatest fear in life. But I have seen, first hand, a mother and a father be pulled away from their babies to fight for our freedoms.  I've seen a mother give her baby a bottle for the last time before she is shipped off to Iraq, and I've seen her witness some of her first steps via webcam. I've seen children without their mommy and daddy on Christmas, and on Mother's Day and Father's Day. I've seen friends of mine leave their wives/fiances/girlfriends to fight for our freedoms, and return to the gut-wrenching demon of infedility.  I have seen the hauntings of post-traumatic stress disorder. I have overheard a brand new mother call her deployed husband to share with him that their first-born has arrived and is healthy. And I have felt the fear of "what if this is the last good-bye?"

So, this weekend, when you are with your friends, your family, enjoying time at the lake, the beach, or just in your backyard, I ask you to stop for a moment- just for a moment- and remember the sacrifices of our military, the sacrifices of their families, and pray. Pray for their safety, pray for their relationships, pray for their children and their families, and thank God for the decades of sacrifies that have been made for us to live in such an amazing country.

The following slideshow includes pictures of my brothers and sister-in-law. One brother is currently stationed in Afghanistan for the next year, and the other will be leaving in June for Iraq. Proud does not even scratch the surface. They are my heroes.

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.