I've been meaning to update this for awhile now but haven't been much inspired to do so. Life has just been chugging along with not much excitement. Well, except for the trip to the State Fair. That was awesome and eventually I will get some photo's up and maybe write about it. I was going to do that as this week's post but I feel compelled to write about something much, much more sad.
Thomas lost two friends who were fighting in Afghanistan this week. It's been extremely hard on him. They weren't close friends but he had gone through school with one of them and has a lot of great memories of their time together at EOD (Bomb Tech) school.
Their names were Floyd Holley and Dan Fedder.
I think that it is just too easy to see the headlines and the numbers of casualties in the news and not really think twice about the impact of a serviceman's death. I know I'm guilty of it at times.
These guys left behind wives, children, mothers, fathers, and friends. Floyd's wife was 7 months pregnant with their first child. I believe he also had children from a previous relationship. He was the guardian of his 14 year old brother. Dan had a wife and two kids as well. Dan was on his 7th tour since the war began in 2003.
Imagine what that would feel like. To have someone show up at your front door and tell you that your husband has been killed and you will never see him again. I can't. And I can't stop thinking about these women and what they must be going through and wishing there was something I could do.
And I can't stop thinking about our friend John who is their platoon commander and is now feeling like he has some responsibility in their deaths. I pray that he will be OK and find some peace.
Because, really, that's all you can do. Pray. If you believe in the power of prayer, or a higher power.....or whatever you believe in. Maybe just sending out good vibes into the universe. At least it's something right?
So, let us not forget that while we may have marked the "end" of the war in Iraq yesterday there is still a war going on in Afghanistan. And people are there fighting every day. People that are close to Thomas and I. With families left behind, waiting anxiously for their safe return. Praying every day that they, too, don't hear that knock on the door. I know what that feels like and I don't wish it on anybody.
