I had to go on Base today. There was a rotator going out and I wanted to put a package on board for my husband. Another group of men and women were heading overseas... leaving loved ones to do what they are called to do.
Now that Carl is gone, I don't like going onto Base. I go when I need to make a large commissary run or when one of the kids needs to go to the clinic, but other then that, I avoid the Base like the plague. It is not because I don't like the Base-I actually love it-it is because my heart breaks each time I pass through the gates. The Base represents my husband. My husband represents the Base. All of the men and women in uniform are a part of my husband. They share his love for this Great Nation. My heart aches for my husband when I am on Base.
I have always loved passing through the gates onto Base. It is like going from the outside in. Like going from the outer banks to the safety of a fortress. When I am on base I am surrounded by military members who would put their lives in danger for the safety of mine and my children's. I feel safe amongst the people who stand up to danger and say "If you want to get to my country, you are going to have to go through me first."
We Americans place a huge burden on our military members. We expect them to go to the ends of the earth for us. We expect them to stand up and fight so that we do not need to. We expect them to defeat the enemy at the gates, and they do just that. They do what it takes to keep America safe. They sacrifice and sacrifice again.
You know how people who have faced a debilitating disease and survived have a new outlook on life? They see what they did not see before their life was in danger. They see the importance of life. I wonder how many Americans think about our military in that way. I wonder how many people truly know that men and women in uniform have looked death in the face and survived. They are prepared to do what it takes and don't look back. They know the importance of living, they know the importance of freedom. They know the significance of fighting for those who are unable and standing guard for those who need them.
To top is all off, they are kind. They are considerate. They call people ma'am and sir. They open doors and take off their hats in buildings. They know what respect is. They know what hard work is. They know what if feels like to belong to this country and to have the commitment to uphold the values that we live under.
They will make sure my husband gets his package of love notes and 5 year old drawings. They know how valuable the lifeline to home is.
Do you think John McCain knows how valuable the lifeline home is? He survived thinking of his home. Thinking of the place where he knew he belonged. America. Do you want a President that has always known what it is like to love your country... or one that spent years searching for a place to belong?
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