Hello! I have been away from this blog for some time now. Life has a way of getting in the way. Loss of a job, searching for a new one and illness of a family member have kept me away.

As Veteran's Day approaches, my heart is being tugged to get back to it and share again.

Big news this week - my son, Tyler, has completed his service with the U.S. Army. He is coming HOME!!!!!

Get ready Western New York, he's coming home.

Mother`s Day

Happy Mother's Day! The biggest surprise I ever got for Mother's Day came two years ago in 2010. It was a day early, but it was sooo wonderful.

Tyler had been in Haiti for more than three months with the 82nd Airborne following the earthquake that hit in January. I remember him calling in the middle of the afternoon on the Monday following. "Hey, Mom..." in his usual nothing's-happening-here voice. I took the bait and asked him if he was on his way somewhere. "Just sittin' on my duffel bag with the guys."

After that, we had very limited contact. Cell phone coverage was limited, and letters or packages took a very long time to make the journey. Though it wasn't exactly a war zone, it looked like one. Aftershocks, rubble and filthy conditions made the situation difficult.

As the deployment was winding down, contact again became almost nonexistent as they prepared to come home. We kept waiting for word, wondering when the call would come.

So on Saturday before Mother's Day, my husband got the coffee started first thing. Before we had a cup, he asked me if I had seen what he did in Tyler's room. He fibbed and said he'd hung some pictures. I thought to myself, of all the things he could do around the house, picture hanging wouldn't be the top of my list. Up the stairs I went to see my husband's version of home decorating.

I flipped open the door expecting to see pictures hung far too high on the wall. What I found was a tall, lanky man-boy, just back from a third world disaster zone, sound asleep in his bed. "Tyler, oh Tyler. You're here!" 

"Mornin', Mom." Just like that. Just as though he had never been more than a stone's throw from home. 

To all moms, happy Mother's Day. Whether your kids are near or far, enjoy them today and every day.

Airman's Creed, Air Force Values

Still celebrating Armed Forces week… Today I’m thinking about the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force was spun from the Army. Originally called the Army Air Corps, the Air Force is a relatively new fighting force. Remember, planes and flight only came into being in the 1900`s. (Thank you, Wright Brothers!)

At around 1940, the Army Air Corps had about 26,000 personnel and less than 2,000 planes. It wasn’t until 1941 that the Department of War created the Army Air Forces. In 1947, the Air Force officially became its own entity, and thus became a partner of the Army and Navy, as opposed to a division of the Army.

Thank you to Airmen everywhere for standing ready to protect us. Thank you for your service.

The Airman’s Creed

I am an American Airman.

I am a Warrior.

I have answered my Nation’s call.

I am an American Airman.

My mission is to Fly, Fight, and Win.

I am faithful to a Proud Heritage,

A Tradition of Honor,

And a Legacy of Valor.

I am an American Airman.

Guardian of Freedom and Justice,

My Nation’s Sword and Shield,

Its Sentry and Avenger.

I defend my Country with my Life.

I am an American Airman.

Wingman, Leader, Warrior.

I will never leave an Airman behind,

I will never falter,

And I will not fail.

Air Force Core Values

Integrity First

Service Before Self

Excellence In All We Do


When you read these words, and consider what our service people commit to, it's huge. The values they live by are a good lesson for us all.

Sailor's Creed, Navy Ethos

The mission of the United States Navy is to protect and defend the right of the United States and our allies to move freely on the oceans and to protect our country against her enemies. Created originally by the Continental Congress, the Navy stands ready to defend our Nation by sea.

Thank you, sailors, for your service.

The Sailor’s Creed

I am a United States Sailor.
 

I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America and I will obey the orders of those appointed over me.
 

I represent the fighting spirit of the Navy and those who have gone before me to defend freedom and democracy around the world.
 

I proudly serve my country's Navy combat team with Honor, Courage and Commitment.
 

I am committed to excellence and the fair treatment of all.

THE NAVY ETHOS

We are the United States Navy, our Nation's sea power - ready guardians of peace, victorious in war.

We are professional Sailors and Civilians - a diverse and agile force exemplifying the highest standards of service to our Nation, at home and abroad, at sea and ashore.

Integrity is the foundation of our conduct; respect for others is fundamental to our character; decisive leadership is crucial to our success.

We are a team, disciplined and well-prepared, committed to mission accomplishment. We do not waver in our dedication and accountability to our shipmates and families.

We are patriots, forged by the Navy's core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. In times of war and peace, our actions reflect our proud heritage and tradition.

We defend our Nation and prevail in the face of adversity with strength, determination, and dignity.

We are the United States Navy.

Soldiers Creed, Warrior Ethos

In marking Armed Forces week, a look at the belief system and guiding principles behind our armed forces.

 

Today we start with the Army. The Army is the oldest of our Armed Forces, having begun as the Continental Army during the American Revolution. The Army National Guard began as a state militia, a group of volunteers who fought part time.

 

The full time/part time distinction between the Army and the National Guard continues today, but the commitment to the national and citizens is no less important and necessary. Thank you all for serving.

 

Here is the Soldiers Creed from the U.S. Army. It is absolutely leaves me with chills when I hear a group of soldiers simultaneously reciting this creed. Read these words and remember that this is a solemn promise our soldiers make. The ethos is what they live by. Quite remarkable...

 

Soldier’s Creed

I am an American Soldier.
I am a warrior and a member of a team.
I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values.
I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.
I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills.
I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself.
I am an expert and I am a professional.
I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life.
I am an American Soldier.

Warrior Ethos

I will always place the mission first.
I will never accept defeat.
I will never quit.
I will never leave a fallen comrade.

Armed Forces week

This week is set aside to honor all those serving in the United States Armed Forces. This includes the Army, Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. 

Thank you all for giving yourselves to serve and protect all of us. 

As we go about living our regular civilian lives, it's important to say thank you to our service men and women. It shouldn't take a date on the calendar to remember that they are there for us, standing ready, when and if we need them. All the hours of training and physical exertion keep these men and women in peak physical form so that they are prepared if and when they are pressed into action on our behalf.

They stand guard. They have our back. We are in excellent hands.

If you cross paths with a member of the Armed Services this week, thank them for their bravery, their fearlessness and the sacrifices they make so that we might live in freedom. 

Military Spouse Appreciation Day - May 6

Change of plans for today... I was going to write more about letters and share some that passed between my grandmother and my father. I'll put that on hold for now. Today is a day that I can't let pass by - Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

May 6 is set aside each year to recognize the unsung heroes that love and support our military personnel. Military spouses may not wear a uniform, and they may see the front line, but their duty is tough. They wait. They wait for their soldier, and they keep the homes fires burning. Military spouses stand behind their warrior, giving them the strength to carry on. Its knowing they have the love of a good woman or man waiting for them at home that makes active duty easier. 

I'm not a military spouse, nor have I ever been one. I can't imagine what it's like to wait and to wonder if your spouse will come home whole or if they will come home at all. It's a tremendous load and an uncertain one. Military spouses have a special place in Heaven reserved for them if you ask me.

Today, I send my love, my thanks, and my appreciation to the military spouse who waits for my son. My daughter-in-law, Dominique, is a young, beautiful college student. She and my Tyler have been married just over a year. She's amazing. 

Tyler and Dominique have had a unique experience, as their dating life began just shortly before he enlisted. They have endured much separation due to college for her and military service for him. Dominique stood behind Tyler during his deployment to Haiti and Iraq. It's not easy, I'm certain, for a young lady to deal with all the ups and downs that come with military life. As his wife, she supports him in a completely different way that a parent just can't. I love her for everything she brings to my son's life.

Thank you, Dominique, for your enduring love for my son. You are my hero.

Dominique and Tyler

If you know a military spouse, take a moment to thank them; acknowledge THEIR service.

Phone calls and letters

There's something about having a military son that hasn't changed in a century. When your boy answers the call and heads to Basic Training, you won't see him for months, and your only communication during that time will be letters and a handful of phone calls.

My father served in World War II, joining what was at that time the Army Air Corps. This was before the Air Force was created. A wiry young lad, born on a farm in West Virginia, my father had known many hardships in his young life. His father died in the flu epidemic of 1918 as did several other close relatives. His mother had to sell the farm,  move into town and take in boarders, cook and clean, while caring for two small boys. The family relocated to Buffalo, NY when his mother finally remarried.

My dad was one of many who saw joining the military as an opportunity to protect our nation and do something important. Love of country was stronger than love of self. Leaving everything familiar behind, men like my dad, headed off to a very uncertain future and possibly death. The only link to home was through letters.

It's an interesting thing about these letters. I would bet if you asked 100 military people, 99 would say they saved every note, every card, every letter they received while serving. Those letters are a delicate lifeline that can cross thousands of miles and tether a soldier to home. My dad saved the letters he received as well as the ones he wrote home. Upon his mother's death, they were found among her treasured possessions, of which there were few.

After my father's death, my mother gave each of the children some of those letters. What a treasure. Reading them gave me a better sense of the man my father was in his younger years, and they helped me get to know my grandmother. Though I never met her, I feel I know her well. We share a bond, stronger now because of her letters.

Tomorrow...letters.                                  

Healing Words

The day I learned of my son's decision to enlist was the day the bottom fell out for me as a mother. After years of being the “decider,” all seemed lost. The next weeks were filled with dread of the future, like waiting for a funeral. I felt not a scrap of joy. The fear of what could happen to my son nearly crippled me as his parent. If screaming and crying could have prevented him from going, he’d be with me still.

Graduation came and went. I planned a celebration though my heart was absolutely, utterly broken. Next I planned a farewell gathering, going through the motions of letting go. The ties that bind were being crudely severed, inflicting the worst pain I had ever experienced as a mother. A verse of scripture haunted me: “In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they are not.” (Matt. 2:18) There was no consoling me.

Inner Struggle

When I look back, I see that my sons had not only an inner struggle when joining the military, but a battle against conventional “wisdom” of friends, family and virtual strangers. It’s an enormous decision whether or not to give up four years of your young life – military service isn’t quite the same as living on a college campus! There is also the struggle to choose for yourself and swim against the stream.

The men and women signing up for service in the years since 9/11 feel the same burn of patriotism in their soul, they feel the same passion for their country and countrymen, they also know that it won’t be a bed of roses over there. In fact, it will be a living Hell. It takes something special to join the service when the war isn’t going well. To know that, and to still join, is extraordinary courage and patriotism.

When I learned that Tyler had declined his ROTC scholarship to enlist straight up, I was floored, scared and truly angry. I couldn’t imagine that he could care so little about his own future that he would give up what amounted to a better situation for himself. What I didn’t understand then is that in Tyler, the flame of patriotism was burning. There wasn’t a thing I could do to change it. Truthfully, I’d never want to extinguish that.

“Oh, you heard,” was all he said when I was yelling at him from the front steps of our home.

April 29

April 29 marks a day in the life of this mom that I keep in my mind's eye, tucked away for safe keeping. It was just two years that my oldest son departed for the Air Force. April 29, 2010. It had been marked on the calendar for months, staring at me. As a parent, you fear the unknown, but in this case, I already knew the torrent of emotions coming for me. I had been through this before.

When Tyler joined the Army two years prior to Tim's departure, I fell almost completely to pieces. Okay, completely to pieces. At one point, I was sitting inside my closet, crying to my sister on the phone. Fear of the unknown, loss of parental dreams, and probably shock, consumed me completely.

Tim's case was a little bit different. He was older when he enlisted. Having gone to college and graduated the year before, I felt a little better. He had been sheltered at college, but he was not a baby in my eyes. I felt he was more ready to go. Whether I was right or wrong, I have no clue. I can only say what I felt. 

We always say that Tim needed more prodding to get going as a child. When he got on the bus for kindergarten, he was hesitant. We had to nudge him forward and say, with a huge, fake smile pasted on, "Go on honey. You'll be fine." When Tyler got on the same kindergarten bus three years later, he didn't even so much as look over his shoulder at us. He flipped his hand in the air, like he was saying "Later, guys! You'll be fine." We went in the house and cried.

It should have surprised no one that Tyler went first to the military. Tim always checked things out thoroughly before taking action, really testing the waters. Tim waited politely to be lifted out of his crib. He hesitated before hopping on that bus. He weighed the military and the branches strongly before he went.

Tyler climbed out of his crib, again and again. We couldn't contain Tyler as a toddler. He climbed on the windowsills. As a teenager, he climbed out the windows. He jumped off the roof. It's a wonder any of us survived his childhood.

Tim eased us into parenting, in many ways. He gave us a chance to catch our breath I think. Funny the things that come to mind, years down the road.

So, when Tim left for the Air Force, it was knowing some of what lay ahead. For us, we knew how it would feel to watch him swear in, to say good bye for what seems like an eternity, and the joy of seeing him again. Our fear was perhaps less because we knew more. (Tim, call your brother, and thank him...)

I'll fast forward for you now. Today, Tim is serving as part of Tops in Blue, a group within the Air Force that provides entertainment and encouragement to military members (and families) world wide. If you'd like a closer look at Tops in Blue, visit Tim's website:  Tim Sentz. 

Some of the Tops in Blue Crew! My son, Tim, is on the very right in the photo.

How Did I Get Here?

If you've been hanging out with me on this page, you might recall I asked "How did we get to this point?" I was speaking more of the collective WE, as a people. You probably read "Moment of Truth," my view of the deciding process Tyler and our family went through.

It really is a process for the whole family. Every member is affected. At our house, we are a family of six -- mom, dad, four boys born about 3 years apart. Every one was in a different stage of life. I was beginning a new job; my husband was beginning to think of retiring. Our oldest son was in college; our third son was entering high school. Our youngest child, the littlest brother -- was 11. Tyler was ready to leave it all behind. And he really was ready, we would learn. 

I should have known he would never take that ROTC scholarship. He had still been doing PT with the Army Recruiters for months, doing all kinds of crazy stuff. In his spare time, he'd go for a hike around town carrying 80 pounds of boulders in his back pack. I spent Mother's Day the year he left in the ER with him. Working out with the recruiters, he got a gash on his leg that became infected. So there we sat all that rainy Mother's Day, with much going unsaid between us.

On Memorial Day, the commander of the ROTC unit called and asked to speak with Tyler. He wasn't home, and did I get a surprise when I took the message. "I just wanted to talk to Tyler about declining the scholarship, Ma'am," the southern drawl said. "WHAT???" That was the only word that would come out. Few have been the times when I was ever at a loss for words. This was one of them.

That was the beginning of my truly horrible, no good, very bad summer. Tyler was on one side of the line. I was on the other. Two of the most stubborn people you will ever have occasion to meet, locked in a battle. Me, wanting him to go to college. Him, wanting to go do the right thing for him and the country. A minefield of words, all around us. Step on the wrong word, and someone got hurt. Flareups abounded.

Believe me when I say it was a long journey to get where we are today. When the road seems darkest, light is coming. You just can't give up. You have to keep going. More tomorrow...

Cool Does Not Last Forever

When I was in fourth grade, I remember the night of the school play. While I got ready, my parents got ready as well. I don’t recall what my mother wore, probably because it was very similar to what other moms would have on.

At this point in history, the 70’s, everyone seemed to be finding fashion. Parents began showing up to events looking like Mike and Carol Brady cones. Not my dad, oh no.

My dad came out of the bedroom dressed in his Sunday finest. Literally, he had a gray suit on, one of the ones he would wear to church. He always wore a suit to church. Always. Of course with his suit, he wore a crisp shirt and a tie that matched, but probably wasn’t in style at the time. He had his horn-rimmed glasses on too. I thought, “Geez, Dad, no one else will be that dressed up.”

Mind you, putting that suit on meant that he had come home from his job at Bethlehem Steel, washed up, shaved, slicked his hair back in a not-Mike-Brady style. My dad was a bit older than my mom, and that knowledge always gave me the impression that he wouldn’t ever match the cool factor of other dads. That didn’t stop me from wishing he would, just once.

That being said, when it was my turn to go on stage, my eyes searched the small audience for my parents. There they both were, about three rows back, right in the middle. My dad was the only guy in a suit, but he had the biggest smile I his face, maybe the biggest I recall seeing. That was very cool!

In the years that followed, my dad got a bit more fashionable. He finally got rid of his of horn rimmed glasses (I think they stopped making that frame). At one point, he did sport a leisure suit, which honestly, was so much more awful than his old suits! The one thing that never wavered was that he was NOT “cool.” We were never allowed as children to break or bend rules. He never gave us the freedom others had. There was the right way, and the way the rest of the world did it.

I guess it should come as no surprise that my own children don’t really find me “cool.” I think they have gotten used to it. Maybe someday they will even find it charming. The thing is, that cool is for a moment; right is forever.

Among the many things that used to be cool: smoking, drinking & getting behind the wheel, not wearing a seat belt, 60’s free love, and I could go on and on. Now we know better. Currently, video games, I-pads, I-phones, brand name clothing and merchandise, rap music that is violent/degrading to women, late night comedy, all cool. Perhaps some of that will remain. Hopefully, we’ll wise up on some of those.

So, when asked: do I think it is cool for the President of the United States, any one of them (past, present or future), to turn up on late night comedy? Might be cool, but I definitely don’t think it’s necessary. 

Red White and Blue, Through and Through

Did you ever see the looks passersby give someone completely decked out in red white and blue when it isn’t a holiday? What about when a car passes with all manner of patriotic bumper stickers and paraphernalia? How about the person whose yard is decked out with r-w-b everything year ‘round? People might say they are kooky. I just think they love the United States of America, and they want the whole world to know it. Who can argue with that?

Perhaps they have served in the military. Perhaps they have a loved one who has served. Perhaps they just happen to like anything that screams America. In the days following September 11^th, American flags flew off the shelves, and banners and signs hung everywhere. It took a national tragedy that ripped our hearts to shreds, but in the aftermath, Americans came together and began showing our true colors – red, white and blue.

Ten years down the road, the flags don’t fly so often. There are fewer dazzling displays of patriotism visible to the eye. Even so, I think that the love of our nation has not cooled. In fact, I hear more and more people speak of the Constitution, argue for our freedoms, and speak of their love for our country. I do see American Flag pins on coats and lapels. I see hands on hearts during the National Anthem and people actually singing it.

Fortunately we live in a land where it is perfectly okay to be different. You are free to jazz your yard up year ‘round with patriotic decorations or not. You may wear an Uncle Sam hat, a tiny flag on your lapel, or nothing that reflects the heart of a patriot. I personally like a few troop support bumper stickers and magnets on my car, but not everyone does. That’s okay. We are free to wear our patriotism like a badge of honor or love our country in quieter ways.

Men and women have died to give us our freedom. Many more have died to preserve liberty and allow us to pursue happiness. Remembering those sacrifices is important. Living well in our free society is the best honor we can bestow on them. Our way of life is a torch that burns brightly for the world to see.

What matters most is that the love of country continues to burn in our hearts. Inside the hearts of true patriots, we are red white and blue, through and through.

Stand Behind Them

I got this little gem in an email. It reminds me that there is are truly good, decent people among us.The power of such simple words as thank you can change a person. It means everything to our troops.

 I don't know where "Richard" is or if he is even still living, but I'd like to add my thanks: Thank you, Richard, for serving.

The email said to feel free to share, so I thought I would. At the bottom, it states, "If you don't stand behind our troops, please feel free to stand in front of them."  AMEN. 

I absolutely could not have said it better myself. So without further ado, here is a wonderful reminder of why it is so vital that we support our troops.

(Note:  I did check with snopes.com; the story is authentic.)

Ann Margret.... Viet Nam 1966 "Richard, (my husband), never really talked a lot about his time in Viet Nam , other than he had been shot by a sniper. However, he had a rather grainy, 8 x 10 black and white photo he had taken at a USO show of Ann Margret with Bob Hope in the background that was one of his treasures. A few years ago, Ann Margret was doing a book signing at a local bookstore. Richard wanted to see if he could get her to sign the treasured photo so he arrived at the bookstore at 12 o'clock for the 7:30 signing. When I got there after work, the line went all the way around the bookstore, circled the parking lot, and disappeared behind a parking garage. Before her appearance, bookstore employees announced that she would sign only her book and no memorabilia would be permitted. Richard was disappointed, but wanted to show her the photo and let her know how much those shows meant to lonely GI's so far from home. Ann Margret came out looking as beautiful as ever and, as second in line, it was soon Richard's turn. He presented the book for her signature and then took out the photo. When he did, there were many shouts from the employees that she would not sign it. Richard said, 'I understand. I just wanted her to see it.' She took one look at the photo, tears welled up in her eyes and she said, 'This is one of my gentlemen from Viet Nam and I most certainly will sign his photo. I know what these men did for their country and I always have time for 'my gentlemen.'' With that, she pulled Richard across the table and planted a big kiss on him. She then made quite a to-do about the bravery of the young men she met over the years, how much she admired them, and how much she appreciated them.. There weren't too many dry eyes among those close enough to hear. She then posed for pictures and acted as if he were the only one there. Later at dinner, Richard was very quiet. When I asked if he'd like to talk about it, my big, strong husband broke down in tears.. 'That's the first time anyone ever thanked me for my time in the Army,' he said. That night was a turning point for him. He walked a little straighter and, for the first time in years, was proud to have been a Vet. I'll never forget Ann Margret for her graciousness and how much that small act of kindness meant to my husband. I now make it a point to say 'Thank you' to every person I come across who served in our Armed Forces.. Freedom does not come cheap and I am grateful for all those who have served their country. If you'd like to pass on this story, feel free to do so. Perhaps it will help others to become aware of how important it is to acknowledge the contribution our service people make."  --Author unknown A true Patriot will pass this on.   On behalf of those who DO appreciate all that you did for us, Thank you to each of you who receive this message who have served or are serving our country in the armed services or any other service.  IF YOU DON'T STAND BEHIND OUR TROOPS, PLEASE, FEEL FREE TO STAND IN FRONT OF THEM

Say it loud and proud

I woke up this morning with a little something niggling around in my brain. Thinking about kids in classrooms, starting their day as kids have done for years and years, saying the Pledge of Allegiance. Kids in my class know that the one thing that the one sure-fire way to get Mrs. Sentz all riled up in the morning is to try to skip saying the Pledge (or not respect the moment of silence that follows).

Nothing bugs me more than kids slumping, slouching, leaning....hand over the right sight of their chest or half-heartedly placed over the left side or looking all over the place instead of directly at the flag. That bugs me! So little is required of us as Americans, yet we can't stand up in the morning and pledge our loyalty to our country. 

This is one of the first lessons I teach my class -- stand for something, or you'll fall for anything. (I know that is a country song line, but it's a good one). Stand up for your country, your fellow Americans and the ideals that define us as Americans. Like any other subject in school, Patriotism 101 starts with the Pledge on the very first day of school. If there is one thing I hope my students take with them, it's love and respect for our nation. If they do, I've done my job as a patriot.

Every time I say the Pledge, I think of our service men and women, giving everything that have, standing ready to defend us. I think of the people who have died serving, and I think of the original patriots who won our freedom and established this nation. To me, the flag represents great sacrifice of many, tremendous service of some, and awesome responsibility for the rest of us who enjoy the privilege -- yes, the privilege -- of being an American citizen. Freedom isn't free, not for any of us.

I say the Pledge every day with my students. Not every teacher does, but I surely do. I am sometimes puzzled when I go to an event outside school and the Pledge is said. Some people act as though they can't remember it. Really? Either that or they are ashamed. Not sure which is worse...

Here it is, just because I love it... 

The Pledge of Allegiance

I pledge allegiance

to the Flag of the United States of America, 

and to the Republic for which it stands, 

one nation under God, 

with Liberty and Justice 

for all.

Here is a little treat for today, a link to my husband singing "Old Glory." Accompaniment was by Jackie and Jennifer Christen of Hamburg, NY. They had performed this at a 9/11 commemorative ceremony in 2002. Enjoy!

"Old Glory"

Hamburg's Heroes

I took the opportunity to take a walk down the street in my town and photograph the hero banners recently installed on light poles along the main drag leading from the town into the village. If you missed the earlier posts, military mom Sue Jantzi made it her personal mission to honor our town's service members by having local business sponsor the Hometown Hero banner project.

Currently, 31 banners are on display. If you are from Hamburg or ever go into Hamburg, the banners line the stretch beginning at  the circle where South Park (it becomes Buffalo Street), Legion Drive & Clark Street meet, going into the Village, ending at Union Street. 

Walking the length of the street and stopping at each banner not only gives you a different view/perspective of the banners, but it's not as easy as breezing past in your car. Naturally I picked the one freezing cold day we have had in April, then it got windy and drizzly, and finally a little rock got in my shoe and really irritated me. I kept thinking, as uncomfortable as I am right this minute, I'll bet every one of these soldiers has been exposed to conditions 10,000 times worse.

My sincere hope is that other communities will find similar ways to honor their patriots. Sue Jantzi stepped up and took the matter in hand. Thank you, Sue! The photos of the banners will appear on a separate page of Patriot Mom.

"In God We Trust Day"

I felt like this was important enough to add a second post today. April 22 is also known as "In God We Trust Day." (Non believers stop reading now... stop back tomorrow) Today is one of those days that makes me know God is everywhere -- and right here with me -- all at the same time. What some call coincidence, I know is the voice of God, whispering to me...

Yesterday, I was thinking of a friend who passed away several years ago. Today in church, the choir sang a song that was also sung at her funeral. It is one I find especially comforting, yet unsettling, all at the same time. Does that make sense? The song, "You are Mine," was written by David Haas. 

I don't think it is any coincidence that I think of my wise friend, hear that particular song and it just happens to be "In God We Trust Day." If there is anything that I have learned as the mom of military boys, you have to trust in God or you just might lose your mind with worry. Having children who have stepped up to the challenge of defending and protecting is daunting. I'm sure I speak for many of us when I say it is a feeling of complete loss of control and power over the course of life events. Being a bit of a control freak, that is hard.

So... for all of you (and me) who need it, here is a link to a beautiful, beautiful song. 

"You Are Mine"

If you don't get to this post on the exact date of "In God We Trust Day," that's okay too. You can trust Him every day, not just April 22. He'll be there waiting for you whenever you need Him.

It is the Soldier

     I opened my Bible this morning before church. I keep a few things in there, but I was looking for a poem. I suddenly had an odd feeling that it might have been lost. I couldn't quite recall seeing it the last time I opened my Bible. 

     Sure enough, the paper I was looking for wasn't there. I flipped through twice. Hmmm. I really liked that poem, and I keep it there 1) because it was written by a priest; 2) God forbid... it's there in case I should need it for a funeral (I also keep a list of favorite hymns in there too); and 3) If I plan for the worst, it never happens.

     So this has become my thought process ever since I became the mom of a soldier and an airman. I wait. I worry. I pray for the best, in spite of being prepared for the worst. 

     I did a quick look up online and again found the poem. It will go back into my Bible, just in case. I share it with you today to emphasize the importance of what our soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors, guard members do. It's a good reminder for me whenever I need it. 

"It is the Soldier"

by Father Denis Edward O'Brien, M.M., USMC

It is the soldier, not the reporter

        Who has given us Freedom of the Press.

It is the soldier, not the poet

       Who has given us Freedom of Speech.

It is the soldier, not the campus organizer

       Who has given us Freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, not the lawyer

       Who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the soldier, not the Congress

       Who has given us the right to vote. 

It is the soldier who salutes the flag,

       Who serves beneath the flag and

       Whose coffin is draped by the flag

       Who allows the protester to burn the flag.