Thursday 27 August 2009

Lest we forget...


Hubby called from just outside Swindon, before his interview. He was stationary on the carriageway in traffic.

Then he told me of the lay-bys along the carriage way filled with veterans in their berets. It was a guard of honour. The slow and silent cortège of coffin filled hearse, lead by Police escorts, passed in front of him. He was witnessing the repatriation of our young men who had fallen in
Afghanistan.

We dare to get on with the day to day without a thought. I’m as guilty as the rest of us!

Now I can’t stop thinking of the men who are finally going home for the last time.



BAS

11 comments:

  1. Lovely post. Thanks for the reminder about how precious and fragile our lives are and how much we take for granted. - G

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh wow. Yes they usually come back into RAF Lyneham I think. I saw some around there a few weeks back as well. I was driving along stressing about BM, step-stuff etc... as usual, and then I passed a line of 5 Hearse with police guards and the union jack flag over each coffin. I suddenly felt extremely humble and guilty for stressing about such crappy stupid stuff. These young men did not deserve to die in such a senseless war - but lets not get political... It's so sad but it's moments like that remind us to be grateful for every minute we have on this earth.

    ReplyDelete
  3. "Now I can’t stop thinking of the men who are finally going home for the last time."

    Seeing something like that makes all your other struggles seem a bit smaller, doesn't it?

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Bas, thanks for popping by my blog! Nice blog you got here, and what a thought-provoking post this is. While I'm not an American, and there are much dynamics to this war I may not understand, my heart and prayers go out to these men, and their families. It sure isn't easy!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Visiting from SITS. What a thing to witness. Have a wonderful weekend.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It certainly puts things into perspective.

    ReplyDelete
  7. It really is so desperately sad.
    I'm definitely guilty of taking so much for granted. These young men should be applauded so much more for the courageous and heroic work that they do. It is horrific that this is the home-coming that they have :(

    ReplyDelete
  8. thanks for stopping by my blog and leaving such a great comment! love love love comments! :)

    i tagged you in a meme, to say thanks, to get you to come back...and to get people to stop by your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  9. What a great reminder. Its so easy to get wrapped up in the mundane forgetting just how much others lay on the line. They all have families and loved ones who'd say this was their worst fears. My heart goes out to all of them ♥

    ReplyDelete
  10. Out visiting around..
    The husband and I were pulling up to the main Air Force base in Germany. Spotted a herse and commented on how all lanes closed until it went by. Then we noticed the flag over the coffin in the back. They headed to the guarded section of the air port where the coffin would be greated and loaded into a plane home. It does make one stop and remember. I actually miss hearing TAPS at night. They don't play it on our small base anymore.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Hey BAS,

    First, I want to applaud you on your contributions to the Stepmom community. As a husband with children from a previous marriage, I know first-hand the sacrifices you make in the name of love.

    A nationally-published and award-winning essayist, I captured my experiences as a divorced and remarried dad in a funny and critically-acclaimed book, "The 40-Year-Old Version: Humoirs of a Divorced Dad," which was released this year.

    To my delight, the book has been extremely well received by stepmother writers and bloggers including Izzy Rose, Wednesday Martin, Jennifer Newcomb Marine, and Jacqueline Fletcher. Many consider it an entertaining and uniquely meaningful holiday gift for a remarried dad.

    Given the holiday season, would you be interested in reviewing the book or posting a sample chapter on your site? I think your audience in particular would enjoy it.

    I invite you to learn more about and see strong reviews for "The 40-Year-Old Version" at http://www.divorceddadbook.com. I’m pasting some of those reviews below.

    My personal essays have been published in The New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, New Jersey Monthly, The Star Ledger, The New York Daily News, The New York Post, Babble.com, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and many regional parenting magazines throughout the U.S. and Canada.

    Thanks for your consideration, and Happy Holidays!

    Joel Schwartzberg
    http://www.divorceddadbook.com
    joelscorp@gmail.com

    Reviews of "The 40-Year-Old Version: Humoirs of a Divorced Dad"

    "As a woman who’s married to a divorced man with kids, Joel’s vulnerable wisdom hit a raw nerve…I applaud [his] courage to put his insecurities on the table, not only because it’s admirable, but because his candor is so damn funny."

    - Izzy Rose, author of The Package Deal: My (Not-So) Glamorous Transition from Single Gal to Instant Mom

    "The essays in this memoir are sometimes laugh-out-loud funny, sometimes absolutely heartbreaking…I love how the book shows his feelings for his kids and documents those little awkward moments that come with life after a divorce."

    - Jacquelyn B. Fletcher, author of A Career Girl’s Guide to Becoming a Stepmom

    "A captivating, humorous, insightful book offering wise, hard-earned guidance for divorced dads, this is the perfect gift for men who are co-parenting with their ex-wives."

    - Dr. Linda Nielsen, President of the American Coalition for Fathers and Children and author of Between Fathers & Daughters

    "I couldn’t have bought a better present for my hubby, a Divorced Dad. We love reading it together, laughing and crying as we turn the pages of the short stories (most only 2-3 pages long) that speak VOLUMES to us as readers in a blended family. I HIGHLY recommend ALL Divorced and Separated Dads buy this book, or all Stepmoms and other family members and friends who know a Divorced/Separated Dad to buy them this book as a special gift that will be sure to uplift him in a very difficult time. No one feels alone after reading this book!"

    - Enlightened Stepmom’s Group, Atlanta, Georgia

    ReplyDelete