Memorial Day

In our little village there is a ceremony at the park every weekend before Memorial Day. The kids gather with their decorated bikes and follow the high school band to the park. There is a speaker and a high school student recites the Gettysburg Address-another recites " In Flanders Field the poppies blow beneath the crosses row on row..."

They asked me to speak this year. I wanted the kids to hear-that this is not just about very old people from long ago and far away. Here is my message:

The Winona Memorial Day Celebration-what sweet memories this day holds for me. Little toddlers dressed in red white and blue excitedly waiting for the band to play. A few years later they are solemn Cub Scouts raising the flag And during the tribute to the armed services when my husband and I stepped forward to the strains of “Off we go in to the wild blue yonder” they would beam with pride.




Fast forward twenty years –they are all grownup. Now I am a mom of four service members, one in each branch-a 4 Star Blue star mom. Family gatherings become a mix of inter service rivalry and bantering. But they share one thing in common-a value of service toward country. Duty Honor Commitment Courage-they have made a personal sacrifice for us all.



As a mom I am filled with pride as I watch them go forth into the world. They have amazed me with their strength and dedication. They credit their roots on the farm here in Winona with much of the toughness they needed to succeed elsewhere. The lessons of endurance, persistence, and cooperation that comes from a day of baling hay are priceless. Stacking bales in the top of the mow prepare you for the dusts of Afghanistan. Racing a thunderstorm to get the last wagon in before the storm hits is pretty similar to the stress of a carrier landing. And feeding the animals before you feed yourself is good preparation to taking care of men and women in your command. If you can catch a calf you can do an obstacle course. And if you shoot groundhogs, that experience might helpful when you have to travel with a weapon in your thigh holster.



But the reality is they don't get back home much anymore. With hot spots and bad guys all over the world they are pretty busy and Winona is a little off the beaten path. As I write this son #1 is finishing up his aerial combat training as a Marine F/18 pilot. During his past three years of training there have been multiple training accidents. He will soon join his squadron and be deployed in September. Son #2 is a P3 naval flight officer flying sub hunting missions and supporting Haiti relief efforts. He and his wife are expecting the first child in November and he will most likely deploy again when the baby is five months old. Son #3 is working through his helicopter ratings in Army ROTC and will attend Air Assault School this summer where he will rappel out of helicopters. This is the same child I would not let use the big slide here in the park because it was too high. And my daughter, who loved to swing and hang upside down here is currently deployed in Afghanistan. Instead of her majorette uniform she wears a flak jacket –instead of gold ribbons in her hair she wears a Kevlar helmet.



They make personal sacrifices every day to serve-and so do we parents. They do not live down the road, they cannot come home whenever they want, and now they are in harm’s way. As a mom I don't like to think about that too much- there are times when it is better just to turn off the news or not read the newspaper. There are times when a chill just washes over you as you think about what might happen-it is my worst nightmare.



When we put flowers on the memorial stones and remember I think about those mothers and father whose worst nightmares came true. And in the midst of deepest loss the greatest comfort is to know that your loved one lives mattered and are worth remembering.



So when we remember all those that have served and those who gave the greatest gift-remember that some of them were once little kids who ran among the fields of Winona. They grew up and decided to make a commitment to serve their country. It meant leaving home and those they loved knowing they just might not make it back. That is a lot to ask and to give –and they deserve our utmost respect and admiration



It’s not easy being a mom. We do the best we can to raise them right to keep them safe. That doesn't change whether they are 3 or 23. Being a military mom is even harder. We have to let go and share them with the country and even the world while we wait at home for an email or phone call to know that for the moment they are ok.



I have a sign at the end of my driveway that reads “A piece of my heart in Afghanistan”. I could add over the skies of the world. They are my most precious treasures – I appreciate that you are here today to honor them and all those who serve. And I look forward to a day when they can all be home for the Memorial Day celebration-maybe with their own children trying to climb the big slide.



God Bless our troops and all who hold them dear.



Momma B

Mom

I am a mom-soccer mom, track mom, football mom , ballet mom, no you can’t watch TV until you finish your homework is done mom, do the right thing mom , Army mom, Navy mom, Air Force mom, Marine mom . I am even a helicopter mom since one of my sons is training in helicopters!


I have been protecting my brood since before they were born. As a mama bird tends her nest, I fluttered about finding all the right ingredients to make strong little birds. My other job as mom was developing their wings in all kinds of ways. I wanted them to soar, fly in the face of adversity, and become competent birds who could navigate the big world around them.

And now–they are off and out of the nest. Most of the time, I am filled with pride and joy as I watch them rise to their potential. But there are days when I wish they were safe in the nest again. When I contemplate a sweet baby head of blonde curls now cradled in Kevlar my mother’s heart aches. Gone are the days when I can keep them safe-it is in God’s Hands. And so I look His words and leave them to His protection.

I am reminded of a favorite song based on His word… On Eagles Wings by Michael Joncas. Here is the refrain :

And He will lift you up on eagle's wings,

Bear you on the breath of dawn,

Make you to shine like the sun,

And Hold you in the palm of his Hand.

I am glad there is room for me in His Hand as well.