A hero's welcome means another goodbye..

Sean returned from Afghanistan for R&R. He's been over there for 7 months so far and isn't finished yet. The kids wanted to make it a special homecoming so we decorated the house for him (with some help .. thanks Ally!)... Red, white and blue with yellow ribbons. Being in a non-military community - the comments were interesting as I decorated. "Oh, I saw the yellow and thought it looked more like a crime scene".

That burst my excitement bubble just a bit. But not for the kids. They couldn't wait to go to the airport to meet him.

Two weeks stood frozen in time. Two weeks went by in a blink of an eye. It was a series of moments.

We have been apart now for 2 years and 3 months. Everyone has changed .. time does that. It seems as if it's a delicate balance. A house of cards and no one speak too loud. There are things about his life in Afghanistan ... guns and fighting ... a culture far removed from our own ... he's seen things we can't even comprehend. Nor do we want to. There are things about our life ... homework ... boyfriends ... skinned knees and daily routines. Things far removed from him.

It's a balance of trying to mesh those two lives into one.

And then it's time to say goodbye again. Too quickly ... too soon to try and normalize life. How do you fit 7 months into 2 weeks? You do the best you can, careful not to add too many cards too fast. Wipe away the tears and move forward once more. Chasing dreams of building a house of cement and not paper.

On the way home from the airport ...

"it's okay Eli ..."

I turn the rear view mirror to see the tender story that unfolds in the back seat. Eli has most of his face covered with the blanket. All I can see are his eyes and tears flowing down his face. Jackson moves over to him to hug him. Tries his best to comfort his little brother. That only brings tears to his own eyes. Now I have two little boys in the back seat silently letting the tears flow. Neither one of them speaking. There isn't any need to.

I try to think of just the right thing to say. If I could even choke out the words. Do I tell them things that I don't know for sure ... to soothe the moment? Do I say their dad is going to be okay? Do I tell them that the next six months will seem like days? Do I tell them we will be happy again?

There are no band aides for these kind of wounds. They are the open kind that only time will heal. How do you put a band aid on a broken heart?

I reach back to touch them "I love you guys". That was all I could muster out. I realized my life was in the back seat. The ride home was a silent one.

So today, 4th of July, 2009... I will not only think about all the service members who put their lives at risk to protect our country ... I will also be thinking about the ones who go greatly unnoticed. The families left behind that sacrifice in their own painful way.

This is to those hearts that are breaking. Sons without dads to play with. Daughters without father's to talk to. Wives who cry into their pillows at night so that no one will hear.

Let Freedom ring ... and memories comfort.