Skip to main content

My first patch


The past few weeks have been filled with melancholy. There is nothing in particular that caused me to be so down. So blah. Tears came unexpectedly. Private journal entries were written. I wondered if anyone kept track of me. I looked to the positive. I even identified it. But no matter how hard I tried, I could not get what was inside to match the smile on my face.

It was at a low point that the unexpected came along and reminded me “life is good”. The unexpected came in the form of a friend of the plane coming to town and spending the evening laughing, bonding, and making plans for the next time. I conquered a six-mile run after not being able to complete a four-mile run due to a sore hamstring only a couple of days before. And, then tonight, I went to my Rolling Thunder meeting.

I always look forward to seeing my friends from Rolling Thunder. The welcoming hugs. The conversation. Getting together for a common goal. Every time I go to a meeting, I leave feeling lighter in some way. They were supportive when Sean was in Afghanistan. They are behind a welcome home party for him. And then tonight, totally blew me out of the water. Towards the end of the meeting, I was asked what marathon I was running. When I responded with the Marine Corp Marathon, they asked if I would be representing Rolling Thunder. (Just that morning on my run, I was thinking about the shirt I am designing and how I wanted to include the chapter on it somewhere.) When I answered in the affirmative, a motion was made to sponsor me and pay my registration fee. Through fuzzy-eyes, I heard them all say, “Aye.” The marathon that began as a way for me to transition from married life to a life on my own while remembering military men and women close to me turned into something more. It has become transitioning from one family to another.

One of the members made sure the Army flag was in the back. 
I was welcomed into the ‘family’ tonight with the presentation of my boot patch. Members of this family have already been there for me when I needed them. Whether it was a riding or moving furniture or just a hug, they constantly remind me with their actions that they care and that I am not alone. A heartfelt thank you goes out to each and every one of the Rolling Thunder NC-7 members. Big hugs to you all!

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Fiery Passion

It is 10:44am on Wednesday morning. I sit here in a darkened classroom with no power. During the last 24 hours I have walked a student down to the office with a big knot on her head as the result of a fight; counseled the other half of the fight on different choices she could have made; been an object of a discussion between two teachers; backed my car into a ditch; and restrained a girl. Oh, yeah, and I taught about Civil Rights a bit also. My life continues to be an adventure! Fast forward nine hours. My day at school has come to a close giving me a few moments to sit and reflect on the adventure of the last day and a half. I continue to contemplate what could be done to teach the girls how to embrace the fiery passion they have within rather than to let it out through fighting. Let’s take a walk back through time….. In every other school I have taught in, teachers have a lunch break. This is not the case at BMS. Teachers eat with the students, albeit at a separate table. We...
Post a Comment
Read more

Aging sucks.....or does it?

Upon first thought, watching a parent age sucks. Unnoticeable at first. A bit of a stoop, some creaking in the knees, whitening of the hair. The doctor’s visits begin, as do the pills One for high blood pressure, another to thin the blood, and a handful of vitamins to top it off. The signs are there, but it is easier to see him as he has always been. My father, a pillar of strength. Until my pillar was knocked off-kilter. A simple surgery and the mortality of my father looked me square in the eye when the drugs took hold of his brain. Amidst his fidgeting and confusion, I realized…AGING SUCKS! And then….enlightenment dawned upon me….AGING IS BEAUTIFUL Wrinkles tell of smiles while silver hair speaks a life of memories. Knees creaky after years of kneeling in prayer, offering up a lap, and climbing up the stairs for one more kiss goodnight. Almost forty-eight years of memories nestled in my heart. Memories of my father. Taking us to church each Sunday Building and fixing ...
2 comments
Read more

The Art of Being Thankful

Yup! This entry is going to be totally cliché. After all, it is that time of year where we stop and think about what we are thankful for in our lives. So here it is. My list of thankful. 1.    One less kid home for the holidays Sean won’t be coming home for the holidays this year. He has been with me every year at Christmas since 1988. I will miss him dreadfully. However, I am so very thankful that he will be spending the holidays honoring fallen soldiers. I am thankful for the man of repute he has become. Most of all, I am thankful he is not one of the fallen. 2.   Unemployment Tony does not have a typical job down here. A few days a week, he drives a rickshaw for tips only and substitutes whenever he gets the opportunity. While we never know what we can count on for the budget, I know I can count on him to be there for the girls; to clean the house; to get the vacuuming done; and so much more. I cannot even fathom how he could enjoy working inside the...
1 comment
Read more