In Honor of Memorial Day

In honor of Memorial Day I'll be posting some soldier stories. That's not actually an accurate description. I will be posting stories about my life married to a soldier. Hopefully they will be poignant and fun.

Last week my neighbor left for Iraq. This is his second tour. He served his first tour almost seven years ago. Stop and think for a moment. We have been at war for almost a decade. So many families have grieved and struggled. So many relationships have been tested. What I grieve for is the year we lost. Our year apart left us with separate experiences and no common language to describe them. We both grew so much in that year yet barely discuss it. There are those quiet moments of loneliness when you understand that lost year is an experience you will never truly share with your best friend.

Happy Memorial Day to our troops. Happy Memorial Day to the families of troops. Happy Memorial Day to average every day Americans who enjoy freedoms earned on the back of another.

Please go to a parade. Have a cookout. Embrace your family or a neighbor. Live honorably this weekend as a personal sacrifice in remembrance to those who willingly sacrificed so much.