Thursday, September 6, 2012

PLEASE READ


Something hit very close to home this week.

I have debated for several days about whether I wanted to post this.
I went back and forth with myself until I decided there would be no peace of mind till I did.  

Let me begin by saying that by the grace of God, my son is safe.   As an army parent you drink a confusing cocktail of love, pride, and intense fear daily... and it can be pretty hard to swallow.  I lurk on facebook watching for that beautiful green ball next to his name indicating that he is online for chat.  I can breath again until it disappears, and I know he is off on a mission.  Let's just say it has been a long nine months.  Each morning you pray that you won't get THE DREADED VISIT.  My heart is breaking for the parents who did get the visit this week - the visit telling them that their sons were dead. Incredibly brave men who sacrificed their lives to protect others in their group.

HEROES

And I guess I haven't been able to let this go because of how so many young people view this word.  To me, it doesn't mean athletic prowess or a powerful businessman or a talented actor or rock star.

It means men and women who put their lives on the line like it is just another day at the office.
 It means the sacrifice of drawing fire on yourself to protect those whose lives are depending on it.  
It means a courage so strong that a life is given without hesitation to try to rescue a fallen brother. 

COURAGE * HONOR * SACRIFICE
And it happens every day.  

I have avoided looking at military sites that give the casualty reports.  Because I could list "worry wart" on my resume, it was just better not to go there.  And certainly the media doesn't cover even a fraction of it unless it is something "different" like the blue on green attacks.  If I am being honest, (before I was an army mom), I am ashamed to say I just didn't pay all that much attention.  
When you look at sites like this, you get a much more realistic and horrifying picture of what goes on pretty much every single day.  Go ahead and take a look at it - take a good look at all those faces and think about the loved ones they leave behind.  

So what is the purpose of this post?

To give you a real and uncomfortable look at the sacrifice made for our safety and freedom.  And to ask you:

 to thank a soldier, 

to encourage you to get them a cup of coffee (or a soda) at the airport - chances are they haven't had a lot of sleep, 

to ask business owners to hire a veteran, 

or to get involved with great organizations like The Wounded Warrior ProjectOperation Gratitude, or Honor Flights which give our WWII vets a chance to see their memorial in Washington D.C. 

But most of all, to PRAY for the families who have lost something precious beyond words.
And PLEASE pray for the safety our of troops who are deployed.  


If this touches your heart, please pass it along.
Thank you and much love,

Lisa

Spreading the message with
Tidy Mom


12 comments:

  1. Beautiful, heartfelt post. I pray daily for our troops, and world leaders, to keep their heads on straight and do the right thing. As long as these extremists exist, unfortunately, we will not know peace. Damn shame. Give your kids my best and blessings to all of you. xo

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  2. Totally touched my heart...God bless your son, and you Lisa for writing this. Especially at this time of year. XOXO New friend here! I will share this on my FB page :)

    ~ Julie
    redheadcandecorate.com

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  3. goose bumps, chills & tears. I just cant imagine what these moms go through but I can say they have brave young sons that I admire and pray for daily!

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  4. Very touching, what words written by me do this justice?? None. Action...that is what matters. I will be sharing, pinning and acting myself. Looking for opportunities to say thank you. Those numbers/faces are staggering.

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  6. Lisa,
    Thank your son for his service, and I thank you for being the parent of a hero. I am sitting here crying right now. I am the parent of a marine. He came out of the marines alive. He was discharged in June. I am very grateful. I have sat in your shoes. I know those feelings, and apparently, they can still come flooding back. Thank you so much for writing this.

    I have a link party on Wednesdays, and I would love it if you would link this and any other posts. It is called Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party. It runs from Wednesday to Sundays.
    http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/09/simple-anti-aging-moisturizer-and.html
    I hope to see you there. I am your newest follower, and I would love for your to follow me also. Have a great Day.
    Debi Bolocofsky
    Adorned From Above
    www.adornedfromabove.com

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  7. Thank you, Lisa for posting this. So many make sacrifices and we as a majority go about our daily life and don't give them a thought. My father recently went on one of the honor flights and only in recent years began talking about his war experiences. Prayers that your son remains safe and thanks for his service for our freedom.

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  8. Aw, Lisa, we are a Navy family and I echo everything that you said (I'm one of your CS buddies, too). We have dear friedns who do missionary work for Military Families thru Campus Crusade --I am so proud of them and their efforts. You might find some comfort on their website: http://excellentorpraiseworthy.org/ (BTW--their son is deployed again, too)
    Big Hugs,
    Punky

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  9. Lisa,
    Sorry for the delay in posting. We were enjoying the freedom that our service women and men sacrifice their lives for each second of every day.

    I was holding my breath as I read your post and now as I exhale I'm filled with emotion. As I mentioned during our lunch, as a former military member I appreciate the sacrifice every day.
    Someday remind me to tell you the story of "my hat".

    For now please know I do appreciate the freedom your sons and all our military afford my family. Freedom is not free.

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  10. Lisa, what beautifully written words you have expressed. Thank you for reminding all of us about our precious freedom and those who are responsible for it. I appreciate this very much.

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  11. Beautiful post, Lisa! I'm a strong supporter of our military personnel and yes, it breaks my heart to see what they encounter, not only daily but minute by minute.

    My prayers are always that they will be safe and return home a whole and healthy person.

    xo
    Pat

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  12. Hi lisa.
    This is so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing with Wednesdays Adorned From Above Link Party last week. This weeks Link Party is opened at
    http://www.adornedfromabove.com/2012/09/reeses-smore-brownies-and-wednesdays.html
    from Wednesday until Sunday.
    Hope to see you there.
    Debi Bolocofsky
    Adorned From Above
    www.adornedfromabove.com

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