In the Quiet Heart is Hidden Sorrows that the Eye Can't See

I received this image in an email today with a message stating that not all the brave leave 'the home of the brave' to enter battle. Some of the brave are required to be brave at home.

As I looked at this picture and felt the emotion therein my heart broke. Does it really have to be this way?

Sometimes in life it's so easy to get caught up in ourselves . We stress about things that really don't matter and worry about things we cannot control. There are a million and one things that distract us from the things that matter most. We forget about the world around us and lose sight of others. I admit that I fall into this category more often than I would like to think.

This image of a young boy dressed in black holding back tears and trying to be brave was a powerful reminder of the war that wages and the individual lives that are affected. As the flag is being handed to him he knows his Father will not be coming home. A young child forced to be brave in spite of a life time of being without one he loves most; one who gave his life for all of us. I cannot begin to imagine what this little boys brave heart must feel each day nor how it will affect the rest of his life.

Along those lines I thought a lot about the other side of this war. There are soldiers to fight against our country men. Whatever their cause they also have families and lives outside of war. There exists hopes, dreams, sorrows and pain. I thought of what they must experience and the pain their families suffer. I do not claim to understand what it must be like but my heart does ache for them as well.

On the B Side: I am thankful for the many men and women who sacrifice themselves whether they live or die for the sake of the good of our country. Our freedoms and liberties come with a price. I am hard pressed to think I could make such a sacrifice with the odds that they face but I understand the greater good and I sincerely love, admire and respect them for the selfless service that they offer. It is my sincere hope that they are carefully watched over and blessed while they are far from their dear families and pray that they may arrive home safely once more. Now look at this picture again for a few brief moments and you tell me. xxox