Homecomings

Today the Stennis, an aircraft carrier that has been intimately involved in the war and Iraq, pulled back into port. The sailors based on this boat have been away from their families for a very long time, and it was quite a joyous reunion this morning as you can imagine. The homecoming happened within walking distance of my home, and I thought of them this morning as I watched the news. I remember our Navy days, waiting at the pier for my husband's submarine to pull back in. I used to joke that the homecoming was worth the deployment! How I loved to see the wives . . . new hair-dos, homecoming outfits and all! The children would be all spit-shined, running around full of the energy that comes with "daddy's coming home" day. Then, the moment my sailor walked off that boat, the past few months would disappear. I'd whisper "there's Daddy" in my daughter's ear, and she would try to get out of my arms and go to him. When she was still tiny, I would keep her close as I pushed my way through the crowd to get us to him. As she grew, she did the pushing!

As I re-live these memories, I am reminded of all those who don't get to welcome their loved ones home because they gave their lives, the ultimate sacrifice, for their country. To those people, I say thanks. There is an incredible lady who lost her fiancee recently, and she has a blog that I have been touched by. She's "Cool, Calm, & Collected" under my favorite blogs over to the left. Her words are poignant, and her emotions will reach out and pull you in. She, and her story, deserve to be shared.