4th day of July

On this 4th, I thought it would be acceptable to re-think freedom. I served in our nation's military force (US Army - hooahh) for a few years and enjoyed every single second. I made the decision to follow in my oldest brother's footsteps, and it saved me from a thousand different things - especially myself. As soon as I made it to my first duty station (Fort Rucker, AL), I met my now husband of 16 years. Wow - that seems like a long time. But anyway - when I made the decision to give up my personal freedoms and join in the ranks of those who dedicate their lives to the freedoms of others, I grew up. I am not sure if it had anything to do with the drill sergeants in basic training, or even those in AIT, but somewhere along the line I really did take it to heart that I was part of something bigger than me. I was part of something that had rules, regulations, chain of command, and even its share of problems. But I loved it. I loved putting that uniform on every day. I loved meeting all sorts of people from different nationalities, ethnic origins, and even those one-in-a-million pain in the butt type of people had an impact on our nation's freedom.

As I think about spending time with family and friends tomorrow, I will also be thinking and praying for those people who are still in the military, or have since joined. My nephews, (one Army, one Navy), have both recently joined and will soon understand freedom from the inside. Others, like my friends, the Hawkins, have recently come back from Germany after a full six year stint overseas. Our other friends, the Hedspeths, are currently living apart because Doug is in Iraq while his wife, Lori, and the kids are trying to keep up moral there at home in Washington State and countless other families and friends who we shared our lives with. These are the people who really make it happen. They are lifers and they know their jobs. I owe more than my freedom to these people who continue to serve. I owe my sanity to both families. We grew up together in the 'real' sense. We served together, we worked together, we played together, we had our families together, we spent holidays away from home together, and on Sundays, we would watch football together. We made our lives intertwine because we were doing the same mission - to protect America and her people.

So - on this 4th, when you are swimming, camping, playing horseshoes (or corn hole), grilling out, eating homemade ice cream, and watching fireworks, please take a moment to say a prayer for our military personnel and their families. These people deserve the very best and they don't ask for it. They do it because they love us, they believe in us, and they want us to continue to grow into a nation that understands freedom.