Missing so much.....

I had to tell my husband today on the phone that our younger daughter got her first kiss.....

and then there was silence.

All things that they miss because of being gone. So many firsts that are missed because of the War. First births, first smiles, first teeth, first steps, first days of school, first kisses, graduations, weddings, deaths.......

How do you, as a defender of our Nation, reconcile what you cannot get back?

I have missed a lot over the years by the life I chose to live. But what I missed, I did so because of various things........timing, location, monetary consideration, but when you do what they do, it is not a matter of choice. In the end you are left with the thoughts and sadness of all you have missed in a life that moves along without you while you are away defending your country and it's rights. Things, that once upon a time, you never dreamed you would ever miss.......

Like your 14 yo daughter's first kiss......or your wife telling you about it in person......and so 6500 miles away, on the other end of the line............ there is silence.

I am sure tonight as his busy day ends, he is taking a quiet moment of his own to reflect on what this means.....his baby is growing up without him here to guide her, to be a part of it ......that he has lost a part of his life he can't get back.

God Bless you tonight sweetheart and may He help you find peace at a time when I know things are anything but...............God Bless you all........be safe and may all of you know that even with all that is missed.......nothing is missed more then YOU!

Pray............

I awoke to this in my email this morning as many awoke to it on the news...something I don't make it a habit to watch.......please pray for the families being awakened to the knocks on the door today......

14 US soldiers killed in Iraq helicopter crash

August 22, 2007 - 7:23PM

A helicopter has crashed in northern Iraq, killing all 14 US soldiers aboard in the deadliest such crash since January 2005.

The US military said initial indications showed the aircraft experienced a mechanical problem and was not brought down by hostile fire, but the cause of the crash was still under investigation.

The UH-60 Black Hawk was one of two helicopters on a nighttime operation when the crash happened.

"There were no indications of hostile fire," the military said in a statement.

"Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters were on a night operation when one of the aircraft crashed.

"That helicopter had been carrying four crew members and 10 passengers."

The US military relies heavily on helicopters to avoid the threat of ambushes and roadside bombs - the deadliest weapon in the militants' arsenal. Dozens of choppers have crashed in accidents or been shot down.

The deadliest crash occurred on January 26, 2005 when a CH-53 Sea Stallion transport helicopter went down in a sandstorm in western Iraq, killing 31 US troops.

On January 20, a Black Hawk was apparently shot down in Diyala province northeast of Baghdad, killing 12 soldiers aboard.

The deaths raised to at least 3,721 members of the US military who have died since the Iraq war started in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count.

AP/Reuters