'free'dom?

as we set out to enjoy the fourth of july festivities, please keep those in mind that are not 'free' to do the same. this is not a post on the war...just a look at the men and women serving our country. regardless of your thoughts on this war, please watch the following videos...and know. that no matter what we think, the soldiers overseas face hardships we will never know. forget about opinions for a minute. just observe the human factor in this. the soldiers...clearing houses. finding rubble of bodies and bricks. no comforts of home to return to at the end of the day. and doing so day after day because "it's an order." how does one return from that to life in america today? how does one live day in, day out, strapped with an assault rifle and several other weapons, in constant fear of their own mortality? and further...how does one assimilate back to life in these united states?

on this day, just take a moment to put your thoughts about the war aside and consider all the men and women separated from their families and friends...the sacrifices made by them. their spouses. children. parents. friends. days like today make this sacrifice harder to stomach. the next time you happen to run into a soldier that has returned home, take a moment to say "welcome home." in my humble opinion, don't thank them. they may not want to be thanked for what they've done...but they will always want to be welcomed home.

the following videos portray two sides. the first shows soldiers on a daily mission. the second...you may have seen by way of mass email forwarding. it was made by a 15 year old girl from columbus, ohio. very poignant. and hate to tell ya, but grab a tissue just in case.

happy fourth of july everyone! be safe!