Countdown

Let the countdown begin......Not sure which date we're counting down TO, but it will be within the next few weeks. 

THE SOLDIER WILL BE HOME!!!!!!!

I've come to realize in these last weeks just exactly what that means...The entire time he has been gone has sort of been like a dream.  I tried not to dwell on the fact that he was that far away and I couldn't get to him or him to me.  Now, that his time there is almost over the relief is sweeping through my soul.  I become teary-eyed at anything the least bit patriotic.  (Guess I'll have to be committed on Memorial Day.)  My energy is renewed and at the same time, I become weak as the pent-up stress is leaving me little by little. 

Many unexpected turns have been taken in our lives and in the future as we look back on them, they will be labeled by "that happened the year Joseph was in Iraq."  You know....kind of like we say "Oh, yeah, THAT happened the year I graduated or the year I got married, etc., etc., etc.  Not that nothing else of importance has happened during this time.....that just seems to be the one thing that we will measure the happenings of this year by.

This "year that Joseph was in Iraq" has been the ultimate challenge in parenthood.  Waiting, wondering about him....some endings and new beginnings with the others....a birth, a miscarriage....3 of us moved in the same week (oh,yeah, Joseph, we'll send you the forwarding address so you can find us).....tonsillectomy, mononucleosis, etc....but I'm still here and waiting to see what will transpire after the "year that Joseph was in Iraq."

Meantime, we are all excited about seeing our son, brother, uncle, grandson, and friend.  He's excited about seeing us, too.  He did tell me today that leaving from there is "almost like leaving home."  I get that....

He was home for Thanksgiving and we took him to the airport in Atlanta for his return flight.  It was a long, but interesting day and I was looking forward to going back, again, to pick him up......UNTIL Anna reminded me that he's not coming back to Atlanta.  Good thing I wasn't going alone or I'd have had a REAL interesting day in Atlanta......by myself.

We'll cherish our time together and be a family, again, for awhile.  We'll eat and laugh and get mad with each other and do all the "family" stuff while Joseph is home from "his year in Iraq."

May God bless and comfort the families of the service men and women who didn't make it home and may we never forget their sacrifice.....

The Weary Traveler and the Gift

God put me in McDonald's this morning. I'm sure of it. He knew that my faith in humankind had reached a new level of low. He also knows that everytime He sends me a new miracle to observe that my faith grows by leaps and bounds and I feel His presence in my life in such a strong way. And so my story begins: A friend had to have some labwork early this morning so I trekked along. After all was said and done, I had about an hour to kill. Trying to think of something healthy to eat I headed toward Mickey D's. Oatmeal and coffee....healthy enough. As I sat down inside(which is in itself a little strange, because I very seldom eat at a restaurant alone) with my "health food" I noticed a traveler sitting at the corner table. The evidence that led me to know he was a traveler was that he had a backpack with tags (maybe from a bus station or airport) on it. There was also a heavy coat and gloves hanging on the back of the other chair. The food in front of him had been rewrapped and was still sitting on the table. Maybe he wasn't sure he would get anymore, today, so he was being conservative in his eating and saving some for later. A pretty normal-looking fellow....a little unkempt, but not dirty. The weather was atrocious.....heavy rain and lightning. Not good travelling weather, especially if you may be walking.....He went outside, for what I don't know, and was gone a few minutes. Now here's the good part: While he was gone, a young man looking to be in his late 30's walked over to the traveler's table and left a bag with some food in it. He, then, walked to his table and continued his meal with his friend. Until now, this person had been unnoticed by me. I don't know how long he had been observing the traveler, but obviously, longer than I had. The traveler came back in and went to his table. He looked at the bag, but didn't open it at first. He gently pushed it to the side of the table. After what seemed like a minute or two, he pulled it back to him, opened it, and peered inside. I don't know what or how much was in it or even what the traveler did after this point. I emptied my tray and left for work with the most uplifted spirit from witnessing such an unselfish act. My prayer for the traveler is that he reach his destination soon and his step is just a little lighter because of someone's kindness. May God bless the gift, the giver and the weary traveler.