Lest we Never Forget

As Alan Jacksons song goes, Where were YOU when the world stopped turning that September Day seven years ago?

I have blogged about what we were doing that day...Mark was on leave...the kids were getting ready for school...I was VERY pregnant with Ben (in fact he was born 12 days later). I have blogged about how stunned we were...how Mark got in line to give blood...how we raced to the water front to watch any homeported subs leave for parts unknown. I think we can all recall where we were and what we were doing. We can all remember the shock...the disbelief. We can all remember the outpouring of Patriotism and how many flags suddenly appeared on every car and home and store. Living in a Navy town really was interesting during that time.

But now it's seven years later. How do we feel NOW?

Are we sick of the war? I think most of us are. I try to explain to people the difference between hating the war and supporting the Troops. They are two different things. A lot of military members don't like the war either. Bring the troops home already! But we need to support the men and women who literally go in harms way to preserve our way of life. Who are willing to put their lives on the line for what they believe in. We don't have to believe the same things. We don't have to like the war. We don't have to like President Bush. But We do need to support the troops no matter our political views. As a military wife, I know only too well that it isn't just the military member who makes sacrifices for this country. The whole family does. Wives go without their husbands on Anniversaries (Mark went out to sea the day of our tenth anniversary this year...we have yet to celebrate it). Kids go without a dad or a mom at a birthday party...at school events. Many families wake up Christmas morning with one parent/spouse gone. Forget about planning anything. One never knows where you will be three months from now or if your spouse will be around to actually use that airline ticket/concert ticket/go on vacation etc. We also need to show support to the troops whenever we see them. We don't ever want another Vietnam...and sometimes our troops doubt that the rest of civilian America really cares at all. Last month I was at the airport to pick Sam up from his trip to his Dads. His flight was delayed so we spent a great deal of time at the gate waiting for him. At one point, four marines in Camis walked through the airport. One old guy in the gate area stood up and started clapping with all his heart. It took about ten seconds for everyone to figure out what was going on and to join in. You could visibly see these four Marines straighten up and get a look of pride as they walked through an airport full of clapping people. I'd like to think that I would have started the clapping if that old man hadn't, but I know I wouldn't have. I figure I do enough in MY military home. Sometimes I feel that I should get the applause. It's all about me. And that is wrong. Yes, I do sacrifice. Yes, my kids sacrifice. Yes, my husband sacrifices. But we are all healthy. We are all alive. By the Grace of God that will remain the same. But I also need to set an example, SHOW people how to 'support the troops'. The next time I am in the airport and I see men/women in uniform, I plan on leading the clapping.

Have we become apathetic? It was a great loss of life that day seven years ago. But now the price of gas is on our minds...it's 5 bucks for a gallon of milk...the kids have started a new school year...LIFE has gone on. As it should. But have we forgotten how insulted we were that someone came into our own backyard and hurt us? While we need for life to continue, for the healing to begin, we also don't want to ever forget the deep emotion we felt that day. For if we do, if we let the apathy creep back, then that day seven years ago can happen all over again. And we don't want to let anyone have that opportunity in our own backyard again.

Have we forgotten? Have we forgotten the civilian lives lost simply because they went to work that day? Have we forgotten the lives lost by people who KNEW that by going in and searching, rescuing and comforting, they too could lose their life...but they went anyways. Have we forgotten the families living with their losses from that day? Families still seeing an empty spot at a dinner table or family event that will forever remain empty? We cannot forget. To forget is to dishonor the heros. To forget is to put too small a price on the lives lost. To forget is to say 'it's ok to kill our countrymen, because after awhile even WE forget'. To forget is unforgiveable....

So take just 60 seconds today to remember. The families. The heroes. The troops. The anger and shock of that day. Take 60 seconds to remember why we love living in America and not in any other country. Take 60 seconds to remember. Just remember.

Let us never forget....

Hugs
Jaye