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it didn't take any time for the tears to start flowin this morning...a family, their faces..attending one of their son's funeral for the second time...losing sons in war...not one but two...they only have three...the third son is on 25-day emergency bereavement leave but will return to complete his tour in an environment that is non threatening...the father was like an unshakable pillar, refusing to get political and still hanging on to that worthy cost of freedom...it was unbelievably humbling....how would i react to such a fate as loosing two sons in a war...as a mother, a father, a brother and sisters...i don't think i could have stood as strong as that father this morning...i pray the lord will strengthen him and his family in their loss...even these words seem small...

who can count the cost
our sons, our daughters
so young so much life ahead
aquainted with sacrifice
breathing without fear

experience is the only player
seen from the sidelines
or participate in the parade

cheering crowds full of pride
waving bold flags of encouragement
passing soldiers whose uniforms
are crisp with freedom fought

those left behind
to hold close their fears
silent and hidden

sleeping
waking
with a pleading prayer
living with unshakable faith
return to me untouched...

...cannot possibly imagine the soldiers coming back after fighting for so long..what it would be like to come back home...sit at the head of the table, eating dinner with his family, anxious to touch him, talk to him, bring him in...and kids being kids talking all at once...instead of in a unit, on the firing lines, holding on to your gun for life...or is that death...i do not know...