Bittersweet

        One cannot explain to those who haven't experienced it the joy of a father when his son returns from war.  My oldest son, Saddler, arrived home from Afghanistan for two weeks of R and R.
        I think back to my joy when he came home from Iraq in 2005 and I think it is stronger this time around.  Does that mean that the love that a father has for his son grows stronger over time?  I think it must. 
       During the first combat tour, I found out what my Dad must have experienced when I was in Vietnam.  A constant nagging of missing my son and a background worry for his safety.  I don't know if my Dad prayed for me or not, he passed away in 1986, but I sure lift Saddler up in prayer every day, sometimes several times a day.
      Civilians will never understand the sacrifices that our men and women and their families are making for the country.  There is no way to explain it to them so that they truly understand.  It is not only the soldiers who bear the burden, but the wives and children also.  My daughter-in-law has been a single mom for almost a year now, coping with the demands of raising three children and home schooling two of them.   My grans miss their Dad terribly.  This, without the  built in support of an active duty family as Saddler is with the National Guard.
       If you happen to see our men and women in uniform, please do not pass up a chance to thank them personally for doing what most will not do.  Sacrifice themselves for the good of others.