I heard you went to Afghanistan! Did you forget to go see my son Benjamin? I know there are 88,000 Americans over there, but Benjy is a special boy. He has a soft warm heart, and an easy smile. He has reddish hair, Mr. O., and that means he has that sensitive skin that redheads usually have. So he has to be careful in the sun. He is out in that sun for hours and hours at a time, doing important missions. You should have taken the time to go shake his hand, Mr. President! You should have thanked him for taking care of a fellow soldier suffering from dehydration, and for trying to save a little who was hit with an explosive. You should have at least given him the thumb's up for his good attitude, which helps the other guys keep their chins up too. I just can't believe you went all that way and didn't stop in to say hello to my son. You would have if you knew how much we miss him. If you knew how much his mama worries about him. But it is nice you visited soldiers in the hospital and handed out Purple Hearts. Because all those guys have mommies too. I just hope you weren't doing all this just as a campaign move, Mr. Pres. Because that would be shameful. These guys aren't just playing a game over there. They have heat rash and blisters, but that is nothing compared to what their real foe is: being on guard 24/7. Always watching out, always wondering. And, missing their wives and kids...one of Ben's friends has a wife and three kids back in Washington state. A toddler and twins...twins who were born three weeks before he left. He is missing out on their first year of life, he deserves a medal! He is waiting for a package from home, this daddy. A package with pictures/videos of the babies. It takes a while for these guys to get things, since they are far from their Real Bases, the ones with their addresses. Anyways, Mr. President, I still cannot believe you went all the way over there and didn't stop and give my son a big hug. I would give anything to be able to do that right about now.
Sincerely,
Della
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5 comments:
Della, you are a hero.
I am scared to death if one of my boys just mentions going into the military. So far, they have no been "good enough" for the military to accept. Here they are, willing to risk their lives, and they aren't good enough. Imagine that! I am not sure whether to be angry or relieved.
This made me tear up at the last sentence. Thinking of you xxxx
You sure have a gift for writing! You should really consider writing a book. :) I'm not sure what your book would be about, but it's fun to read your musings!
Oh how my heart aches for mamas of these brave men, for you. I know what it is like to hug my husband tight, and cry the whole drive home, scared so damn scared, maybe I might not see him again. That he might hurt and there is nothing i can do. But holding my baby boy, the very thought, one day I have to let him go out too and be tough, tougher than anyone should have to be. I need to encourage him to be brave, and gentle, and generous in equal measure - knowing how sweet and special this precious little person god blessed me with. Well, I don't want to share!
Thank you to you, your family, and Ben's wife for sharing him. Thank you for loving and caring him into the wonderful person he is today. Thank you to your son out there doing his best each hard day.
Martha, be relieved. The military requirements seem to vary according to their needs. When Ben signed up, he needed 30 credit hours of college as a minimum. Thank you, Joni...what would my book be about? I don't know if disorganized rambling nonsense would sell...(as I write this, my daughter, who is painting the kitchen yellow, is wondering why there is PURPLE paint on the floor...um, I am now wondering also...)MamaDragon: I think you hit on one of the hardest parts: seeing my sweet, thoughtful boy having to be tough! Thank you, and God bless you in your sufferings too!
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