remember

Yesterday during our church service, while Alice was playing in the nursery and Liam was in Sunday School learning about Joseph and his coat, my church family showed a slide show of the men that we have lost in the war; only five were shown.

As the portraits were shown on the wide screen and we observed their faces in silence I felt my heart swell and my eyes filled with tears.

These were men that died and they were cherished sons, adored brothers, beloved husbands, joyful grandchildren. I felt myself sympathizing with their families and feeling their loss, really appreciating how hard it must be to be living a military lifestyle. Having your husband gone for months at a time. How hard it would be to be a child and have your Father gone for so long. Then to get the call that this beloved man, who was so needed in his families life, had died and his family had lost him.

I am so lucky. My life is so, so blessed. I came home to a clean house, a happy fiance, lunch for the kids on the table with paper and crayons for coloring. I came home to love and warmth and genuine affection and I appreciated it.

I appreciate the partner I have in this life and I appreciate that others have lost theirs.

And this week I will remember that there are so many families who made the biggest sacrifice in the world for us.

And I will ask myself: What can I give, in solidarity. What can I give back?