i wasn't planning to start writing in this blog until the new year started, but i don't want to forget this moment.
this afternoon i went to the Williamston National Guard Armoury to pick up my friend Jonathen for his final bit of leave before being deployed to Iraq. i didn't see him in the mess hall right as i walked in, but there were other family members floating around the edges of the room and i sat next to a little boy to wait. the company was called to formation and soldiers began to trickle in. the boy next to me was only about two are three and i noticed him silently crying. i followed his gaze to a man standing at attention, but looking back at his son. the boy never took his eyes off his father and continued to cry, clutching a doll close to his chest. after a few minutes i saw in the boy's face that he had made a decision. A look of determination washed over him and, maintaining his composure, he slowly slid off the chair, took his jacket off the back of it and walked over to the rows of soldiers, crying into his father's leg. i didn't notice until this point that the boy's doll was an iron-on print of his father in uniform.
sometimes i realize how i have pushed a lot of my past as an army brat out of my memories and need moments like these to remind me to pay my respects.
this afternoon i went to the Williamston National Guard Armoury to pick up my friend Jonathen for his final bit of leave before being deployed to Iraq. i didn't see him in the mess hall right as i walked in, but there were other family members floating around the edges of the room and i sat next to a little boy to wait. the company was called to formation and soldiers began to trickle in. the boy next to me was only about two are three and i noticed him silently crying. i followed his gaze to a man standing at attention, but looking back at his son. the boy never took his eyes off his father and continued to cry, clutching a doll close to his chest. after a few minutes i saw in the boy's face that he had made a decision. A look of determination washed over him and, maintaining his composure, he slowly slid off the chair, took his jacket off the back of it and walked over to the rows of soldiers, crying into his father's leg. i didn't notice until this point that the boy's doll was an iron-on print of his father in uniform.
sometimes i realize how i have pushed a lot of my past as an army brat out of my memories and need moments like these to remind me to pay my respects.
