If I die young

"If I die young bury me in satin, lay me down in a bed of rose, sink me in the river, at dawn, send me away with the words of a love song......"

Beautiful song by The Band Perry. You should totally check them out.

Living on a military base you receive the local military newspaper. For my hubs and I it is the Hawaii Marine. Yesterday's cover included an article regarding members from my B's Battalion receiving Purple Hearts (non-deceased) as well as many other very interesting articles.

I read about different units having helicopter training, I read about funny "In Country" anecdotes. (Which for those not milspouses is when they are not home.) I read about people meeting Gen. Conway and glanced at pictures depicting this. So here I sat, reading the Hawaii Marine drinking my morning juice (I don't do coffee), thinking how normal this was for me. And how normal it didn't used to be. How normal it wasn't. How most people don't wake up and read about people receiving awards for injuries or learning helo training or meeting the Commandant.

All of these things I am privileged to experience. All of these things I am saddened to experience. The military is so bittersweet. We military families have pride that runs thicker than blood. And passion. Oh the passion we are gifted to experience. Because we realize that at any moment it could be taken away. We play hard, we love strongly, we fight loudly, and we work tirelessly. Because every moment is a gift from God. Never have I understood that more. And yet we know loss in untold amounts.

Thankfully I am not a Gold Star Spouse. Unfortunately there is such a thing as a Gold Star Family. I am blessed to know several Gold Star Wives and they are amazing women. They picked up when they had to and kept putting one foot in front of the other. They breathe in and out everyday. And I am thankful for them. And when I say a prayer at night thanking God for keeping my family safe for one more day, I say a prayer for them, that He will keep them warm when their husband's can't.

"... there's a boy here in town, who says he'll love me forever, who would have thought forever could be severed, by a sharp knife of a short life."