Today Jeff and I ran the Bolder Boulder together. It was so fun to do together and it reminded me of how blessed I am. Since today was Memorial Day the not so distant memories of Jeff's time in Baghdad came flooding back. During our run my eyes occasionally filled with tears thinking of how amazing this country really is. My freedom is abounding here in America. Not only to I have freedom in Christ, I have the freedom to express His gracious love in almost any way. In any country in the world you can have freedom in Christ, but not in every country is there the freedom to express that choice. I am blessed.
This Memorial Day was the first one that I have felt that I could celebrate and actually give back to the community and country that was so faithful to Jeff and I during his time away. We ran in the military heat and dedicated our run to our grandfather's. Jeff's grandpa Boyd Swanson was a Signalman 1st Class in on the USS LC 1083. His grandpa Stanford was a Captain in the 11Th Airborne. My dad's father died when he was 12, and the closest thing he had to a dad was his uncle Hugh Marion Kincaid a Cpl in the Air force, and his uncle Johnny Cauhape who was a 2ND Lt. in the 2ND Cavalry. Since these men were the closest I had to a grandfather on my dad's side, I honored them. All four of these men served during WWII.
During the ceremony at Folsom Field tears flowed from eyes as we listened to the National Anthem and listened as the ceremony honored Veterans. My heart was filled with a mix of emotions from thankfulness to the sense of loss that Jeff and I have been trying to overcome the last 2 years. I am so thankful he is home this year to celebrate this day with Gentry and I, but I can't help but think of all the families who will celebrate without their loved ones either because they were lost serving, or are currently serving. For those, my heart breaks. Again, I am blessed. I pray that through my experience God has made my heart compassionate and loving for those who are still in the experience and those will encounter it in the future.
