Blessed Beyond Belief.

18 and a half years ago I was born into a military family. My dad is in the navy so my family and I have never gone to sleep at night worrying for his safety because he was off shore somewhere in the ocean 90% of the time during deployments, and this current war is a land battle, not a sea battle. I'd never really thought that kids like me ever felt that fear for their fathers' lives because I never had to; until I moved to Guam that is. There I went to school with kids whose family members served in Iraq, Djibouti, and Afghanistan. Kids who's minds wandered during school and dreams turned to nightmares as they slept. Still then I didn't really realize how blessed I was that I had never had to experience this. 

Nearly a year ago my cousin returned from a six month tour in Afghanistan; he was 19 when he deployed. He and I aren't exactly close, but knowing that someone I knew was smack dab in the middle of a war, fighting that war daily, rattled me. I became one of those kids whose mind wandered and dreamed nightmares. Never will I ever be able to have ANY concept of what he went through, and never will I understand why, but I will eternally grateful for two things: 1. That he made it home alive with no serious injuries and 2. EVERYTHING that he and his buds went through, the courage they had, to defend this amazing country.

Memorial day never meant much to me; I'd never known anyone who was killed in combat, and I still don't, but my cousin does, he was there when it happened. Because of that I will never be able to look at Memorial Day the same ever again, his tour had the effect of making war that much more tangible for me, that much more real. I'm not at all a fan of what war does to these young men and women that have so much going for them in life, how it robs them of the lives they have, but I will always be thankful beyond words because I know that I will never, ever, in a million years have the courage to do what they do for this country. They are amazing.

As my mom and I watched the National Memorial Day concert I realized just how gosh darn blessed I am the my father has spent his entire military career in the safety of peaceful international waters. Blessed that my cousin came home. Blessed that none of my friends have had to experience loss. And above being blessed I am thankful, the military is my whole world and strive to give back to them as much as I possible can (though I'll never actually join the military) in an attempt to repay a small amount of the huge debt I've acquired over the past 18 and a half years, a debt that I will never be able to fully repay.

xoxo,

Abby

P.S. Don't let today be the only memorial day. Military personnel and their families sacrifice so much every single day, and that should never ever be forgotten.