A Very Sad Perspective on the War...
I want to preface by saying this post in not intended to spark debate or even solicit responses. In fact, it doesn't really require responses...it's just sort of an editorial. I've been struck by a few things that I've seen over the last week, and I just wanted to share them.
Last Sunday, as I was enjoying my morning coffee, and watching the news, I saw some footage of our military who are stationed in Iraq. They were taking time out from training for combat to observe religious beliefs and participate in a Catholic mass. They sang a very beautiful, yet ironically haunting tune. 'Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me....' If only we could make those words come true!![]()
This morning, I watched GMA, and Diane Sawyer, who is now stationed over in Kuwait, was visiting the troops as they prepare for military action. I got an eery sense of deja vu from my college years when I sat in my dorm room and watched similar coverage on the TV.![]()
Diane profiled several soldiers and their families. There were two families in particular that made me cry. The first was a husband and wife. They are both in the Army...she, involved in Army Intelligence and he, involved in Logistics. Even though they are stationed in the same war zone, they only see each other every 2-3 weeks. Even then, they are forbidden to have any intimate contact with one another, and their time together is granted no privacy whatsoever. These two soldiers have made an incredibly difficult decision to leave their 2 year old son at home with his maternal grandparents.![]()
At nearly every mention of her baby, this Mother broke down and cried...and I couldn't help but cry with her. Yet, she is so committed to her job with the Army that, as Diane pointed out, even though she had the CHOICE to stay home, she CHOSE to go to Kuwait. I cannot comprehend this type of dedication. As a Mom, I would have chosen to stay with my child. I am not judging this woman...just admitting my own weakness for that type of pain and anguish.
The second family has three sons. The youngest son recently enlisted in the Army. Not wanting his 'baby brother' to go to war alone, the eldest son enlisted and joined his brother. Feeling a sense of obligation to his country and to his two brothers, the middle son enlisted as well. They are all stationed over in Kuwait. I thought immediately about their parents and the rest of their family. The mere thought of loosing one, or all of these sons is incomprehensable to me. Yet, their parents a immensely proud of the courage and commitment their boys have shown to our country.
I have to wonder how many other stories there are just like these two...clearly, these cannot be the only families that have more than one loved one risking their lives for the war with Iraq.
I feel I have a lot to learn from the men and women in our military. Someone asked if we would willingly send our 'children' to war. Personally? No, I would not. I could not. But I think we forget that the people in our military forces are not 'children.' Yes, they were once a child. But, in our lives today, there is no such thing as a draft. These people are adults, men and women, who CHOOSE with their own free will to fight for their country, despite religious, economic or political beliefs. That is a very powerful and selfless gift to the rest of us. Something that none of us, who type away on computers all day, know anything about. I pray for all of them today, because it's the only thing that I can do.
![]()
Last Sunday, as I was enjoying my morning coffee, and watching the news, I saw some footage of our military who are stationed in Iraq. They were taking time out from training for combat to observe religious beliefs and participate in a Catholic mass. They sang a very beautiful, yet ironically haunting tune. 'Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me....' If only we could make those words come true!
This morning, I watched GMA, and Diane Sawyer, who is now stationed over in Kuwait, was visiting the troops as they prepare for military action. I got an eery sense of deja vu from my college years when I sat in my dorm room and watched similar coverage on the TV.
Diane profiled several soldiers and their families. There were two families in particular that made me cry. The first was a husband and wife. They are both in the Army...she, involved in Army Intelligence and he, involved in Logistics. Even though they are stationed in the same war zone, they only see each other every 2-3 weeks. Even then, they are forbidden to have any intimate contact with one another, and their time together is granted no privacy whatsoever. These two soldiers have made an incredibly difficult decision to leave their 2 year old son at home with his maternal grandparents.
At nearly every mention of her baby, this Mother broke down and cried...and I couldn't help but cry with her. Yet, she is so committed to her job with the Army that, as Diane pointed out, even though she had the CHOICE to stay home, she CHOSE to go to Kuwait. I cannot comprehend this type of dedication. As a Mom, I would have chosen to stay with my child. I am not judging this woman...just admitting my own weakness for that type of pain and anguish.
The second family has three sons. The youngest son recently enlisted in the Army. Not wanting his 'baby brother' to go to war alone, the eldest son enlisted and joined his brother. Feeling a sense of obligation to his country and to his two brothers, the middle son enlisted as well. They are all stationed over in Kuwait. I thought immediately about their parents and the rest of their family. The mere thought of loosing one, or all of these sons is incomprehensable to me. Yet, their parents a immensely proud of the courage and commitment their boys have shown to our country.
I have to wonder how many other stories there are just like these two...clearly, these cannot be the only families that have more than one loved one risking their lives for the war with Iraq.
I feel I have a lot to learn from the men and women in our military. Someone asked if we would willingly send our 'children' to war. Personally? No, I would not. I could not. But I think we forget that the people in our military forces are not 'children.' Yes, they were once a child. But, in our lives today, there is no such thing as a draft. These people are adults, men and women, who CHOOSE with their own free will to fight for their country, despite religious, economic or political beliefs. That is a very powerful and selfless gift to the rest of us. Something that none of us, who type away on computers all day, know anything about. I pray for all of them today, because it's the only thing that I can do.
