A saddened heart

Earlier this week I learned that one of the women from my mother's group lost her husband. He was in the Army and stationed in Afghanistan. He was only 29 years old and leave behind a 1 1/2 year old son. When I first read of this tragic incident, my eyes filled with tears. I had to fight the tears back so hard because I was sitting at my desk at work. And every time I read about the tragedy I have to fight back tears. I cannot imagine losing my husband like that. This woman is so humble, too. Not only is she dealing with losing her husband, she truly is concerned with how others are coping with the loss. She wrote a note saying that she "is sorry for everyone's loss". How incredible is that? She took the time to write a very long message to the mother's group just to let everyone know what is going on and how she is coping. She has inspired me to be more concerned with others and less concerned about myself.

I took some time out of my day to sit down and write a letter to her son that he can read when he gets older. I told him how brave his father was and how lucky he was to have him as his father. I told him that his father was a selfless man and very brave. I told him that I was forever grateful for the sacrifice that his dad made so the rest of the country could be safe. I just wanted him to know that his father did not die in vain.

If I could, I would go to his funeral.

Amid the sadness, there is some brightness. Just a few short weeks ago this soldier was home for some vacation time. In the two weeks that he was home he got to make a lot of memories with his son. The family was able to get some beautiful pictures taken. There were so many things this dad got to do with his son that were documented with photos such as coloring on each others face, pretend shaving, brushing their teeth together, and playing cars. It's almost as if the soldier knew that his time was limited and he needed to cherish every second with his family. I get chills just thinking about it.

This family has forever touched my life. You never think of how close things will hit home until they actually do.

Alright, I need to stop before I start bawling my eyes out.

My advice to you today: be selfless, love one another, and appreciate EVERYTHING and EVERYONE you have in your life.