This post is more for me than anyone else. I just have to get my thought's out of my head.
I cannot begin to explain the gratitude I have for the military and the people who fight for my freedom... Freedom is never free. Someone else is always going to be fighting to keep us safe. People will pay with their lives just so I have the chance to live mine.
I married Jason when he had 16 plus years in the Air Force. He had fought in the desert already, and been all over the globe as an Active Duty soldier. It was a interesting lifestyle, but I only experienced a small amount of it before he retired. I never had to go through the heart ache of wondering if he would come home alive or worry about the terror of the war and my husband being gone. I was so grateful that I missed these parts of his career. When I married him, we spoke about the possibility of deployment again, but somehow we lucked out and never had to endure that. Today I am so grateful for that, it's so selfish, but I am.
One of my old cheerleaders, Breanna, lost her father, Bryant, last night in Afghanistan. He was killed by a road side bomb yesterday, fighting for this country and fighting a war that will never end. Bryant leaves behind 4 kids ranging in age from 18-5 and a wife, Leanne, that has been through hell. I have known them for 4 years now, and I am sure Bryant has been in the desert for 3 of those years. Although I didn't know Bryant well, due to him always being on deployment, I know the rest of the family quite well. I feel so distraught and heartbroken for the pain and loss they are going through. When you see in the paper that someone has been killed, you feel a moment of grief for the loss of another, but by the end of the day, you have forgotten the pain they are feeling, and you have moved on to your own day to day functions.
As I thought about all the McCain family must be going through today, I realized I don't know how I would go on if it were my door they had knocked on. Being a military wife is a job of its own. You have a household that depends on you and you get moved from year to year, you get your husband home for a few months just to get settled back into a routine, and then he is deployed again. You have children that need you to be mom, dad, and everything in between and you still have to function in your daily life of work and home as well. And then to have someone knock on the door, and know the reason they are there is bad news, would just send your life into a spiraling mess. Leanne went through so much while Bryant was gone, and now this is just the icing on the cake. She has to fly and meet the "remains", and then return to a bitter cold Alaska only to pack up her whole life and start over somewhere. The kids are now without a father and almost too young to understand what happened. Bryant was a father that took his kids on hunting and fishing trips, a dad that sat in the crowd cheering on his daughter as she performed. The kids absolutely adored him, from what I saw. Now the kids say on facebook, "my dad served our country and I am proud of that." I can't help but be proud of them for being so selfless. They could say this war has taken all I had. but instead show pride. I am so humbled by the family. I cannot even imagine. These kids teach me things I never imagined. May god bless this family and so many more that are in the same situation. Please put them in your prayers tonight.
So please, next time you see someone in uniform - Say "thanks"... Don't be ashamed or embarrassed. Walk right up and show your appreciation. They might be just returning from the war, or getting ready to deploy. But either way, they are fighting for freedom. If it wasn't for the bravery of people like Bryant and the dedication of his family we wouldn't have the freedom that we do.
May god bless this family, and may peace fill their hearts in this time of sorrow and loss. I love you Breanna if you need anything we are all here. :)
2 years ago
