Harmony
"Happiness often sneaks in through a door you didn't know you left open." ~John Barrymore
I have a love hate relationship with Toby Keith's song, American Soldier. When it first debuted, Vic was on his way out the door for deployment number one and it was our rally the troops song. We blared it in the car, the kids knew all the words, the families of our service members did too. I have a distinct memory of it playing on the radio as I drove into the commissary parking lot wearing Vic's camo uniform in preparation for our GI Jane day of activities. When I stepped out of the car, and joined the rest of the wives, that song metered my steps.
When the second deployment came quickly, I came to hate that song. The kids would ask for the radio station to be changed. It was a constant reminder that Vic's service to our nation came with a very real price for our family. The tears would roll again, not from pride but from the stark pain of him being gone.
Last week, we were piled into the car yet again, on our way to picking Vic up from a month long school. The kids and I were excited to see him and to share all of the happenings and progress of our time apart. There was an energized chatter of all of the things we could finally do now that our family would be complete again. The radio station was tuned and quiet as I listened to the children. In the background I heard the familiar first notes of that Toby Keith song and I began to sing quietly. I didn't want to interrupt the children but it finally felt good again to sing those words.
One by one, the children began to sing along. "I'm just trying to be a father, raise a daughter and a son. Be a lover to their mother, everything to everyone. " ... the youngest asked that I turn up the radio..." Up and at em bright and early, all business in my suit. Yeah I'm dressed up for success from my head down to my boots." Before I knew it we were all singing loudly and proudly again, like we used to in the very beginning. There was peace in the children's voices and smiles on their faces. The song had finally returned to the anthem it once was.
The beautiful thing is that time does heal all wounds. With years and much discussion, the hurt and uncertainty of the second deployment has passed away.
We walked into the airport with purpose and determination. We were a family with pride who couldn't wait to reunite with our Soldier. Our American Soldier.
I have a love hate relationship with Toby Keith's song, American Soldier. When it first debuted, Vic was on his way out the door for deployment number one and it was our rally the troops song. We blared it in the car, the kids knew all the words, the families of our service members did too. I have a distinct memory of it playing on the radio as I drove into the commissary parking lot wearing Vic's camo uniform in preparation for our GI Jane day of activities. When I stepped out of the car, and joined the rest of the wives, that song metered my steps.
When the second deployment came quickly, I came to hate that song. The kids would ask for the radio station to be changed. It was a constant reminder that Vic's service to our nation came with a very real price for our family. The tears would roll again, not from pride but from the stark pain of him being gone.
Last week, we were piled into the car yet again, on our way to picking Vic up from a month long school. The kids and I were excited to see him and to share all of the happenings and progress of our time apart. There was an energized chatter of all of the things we could finally do now that our family would be complete again. The radio station was tuned and quiet as I listened to the children. In the background I heard the familiar first notes of that Toby Keith song and I began to sing quietly. I didn't want to interrupt the children but it finally felt good again to sing those words.
One by one, the children began to sing along. "I'm just trying to be a father, raise a daughter and a son. Be a lover to their mother, everything to everyone. " ... the youngest asked that I turn up the radio..." Up and at em bright and early, all business in my suit. Yeah I'm dressed up for success from my head down to my boots." Before I knew it we were all singing loudly and proudly again, like we used to in the very beginning. There was peace in the children's voices and smiles on their faces. The song had finally returned to the anthem it once was.
The beautiful thing is that time does heal all wounds. With years and much discussion, the hurt and uncertainty of the second deployment has passed away.
We walked into the airport with purpose and determination. We were a family with pride who couldn't wait to reunite with our Soldier. Our American Soldier.
Posted by Pam at 7/1/2009 6:55 AM 
Categories: Family
Tags: American Soldier kids Toby Keith military family
Categories: Family
Tags: American Soldier kids Toby Keith military family
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