What a sad day. My heart breaks for the many families getting that horrible phone call, and also for our nation, which seems to spin a little more out of control every day. In this season of turmoil I want to keep my eyes on the God of the universe. He is good and He is sovereign, even when our TV screens tell us to believe otherwise.
Blogging feels out of place on a day like today, but that is the thing about life. It's beautiful and terrible all at the same time and I write to remember both.
A little over a week ago we made the trek with Daughter1 and her boys to Tennessee, stopping for two nights with hubs brother and sister-in-law so they could meet 'Max' and catch up with the mancub. My mother-in-law also lives in that same town so she was able to have time with her great grandsons too.
The sun shone and these little men slept in yet another new place (their 8th since May!) without batting an eye and we had a wonderful time together.
My son-in-law had gone on to the new house in another part of the state so he could get the keys to the house they rented sight unseen, meet the utility guys for water and electric connections, and tell the movers bringing their air shipment and their storage unit where things should go. Their household goods arriving by sea were to be delivered today, and the in-laws made the trip over yesterday to help with that.
Moving is never a simple thing, particularly when you've been living abroad and the air conditioner goes out the second day you're there and the house is basically the temperature of the sun until it's repaired. We survived though, and I would say we even thrived in this lovely new space with a ginormous play room and an honest to goodness back yard.
Hubs made one thousand trips to Lowes and unpacked their garage while they went to buy a car to park there. We ate ice cream with sprinkles...
And squeezed in a walk at a nearby park with its cool dark cave and a pond filled with turtles and blooming things.
The mancub started preschool because resilience is his middle name...
We read a million books and laughed a lot because these little boys are the absolute best, most entertaining people we know. We went to bed ridiculously early every single night because we were all completely worn out by sunset.
I have been thinking a lot today about this big little town where they will live these next two years. A 'military town' where everywhere you look you see the US flag flying and guys in baseball caps that read US Army. Lots of tattooed arms and crew cuts. Friendly people who knock on your new front door and say welcome to the neighborhood with a box of donuts because they've been where you've been and they get it.
A town where most everyone has some sort of tie to one branch of service or another, and my heart aches for them today. So many armchair pundits and even many of our politicians have no clue what day to day life is like for active duty military families, which makes days like today extra hard and frustrating.
Those who live it though? They understand and support one another in ways that truly matter. They will feel today right down to their marrow and will resolve to keep being brave and proud and true.
"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33
