RadioGuy's blog: "Thoughts"

When was the last time you thanked a veteran? For the price of freedom they had to pay? Did you gaze into his vacant eyes? Did you see the ghosts he can't deny? Did you think a soldier's heart was made of steel? Because he was trained to kill, he couldn't feel? Did you see the guilt written on his face, For the loss of life he can't replace? Did you know he mourns the lives he couldn't save, And walks with comrades in their grave? Did you remember the boy with innocence lost? Do you really know war's ultimate cost? Have you felt the blast of artillery fire? Do you have the courage it would require? Have you stood in trenches consumed with fear? Felt the enemies breath so very near? Have you walked with God on a battleground? Seen your brothers dead or dying all around? Have you stopped to thank a vet today, Or did you just turn and walk away? From the pain he'll carry for the rest of his life, Did you consider his family, That watch him suffer in silence each and every day, As he's haunted by memories that don't go away? Did you care that the soldier is still pulling guard? That his heart, mind, and soul will forever be scarred? Do you know how he suffers every day? Or that our precious freedom is never free? Do you care that he still hears the blood curdling screams? Or that he returns to the war each day in his dreams? Have you felt the sorrow of a combat vet? Or would you rather just forget? That war has pierced his hardened heart, And torn this soldier all apart? Do you know that he pleads with God...Why me? Thats ok, rest in peace tonight we will continue to fight the good fight, as long as we are on duty you will be safe..... You don't have to thank us, you don't have to appreciate us, but if you can't support us...please walk away.

So I just wanted to share with you my experience this weekend. I attended the Memorial at our local VA cemetery and what an honor and privilege it was. There must have been 1200 plus people in attendance, vets and cilvilians alike some with their kids and grand kids. I try and attend every year, I am not sure it has ever had such an effect on me as this year. As hard as I tried to keep it together and hold back the tears, be the tough Marine I couldn't do it. Just the thought that Freedom is not free, that so many have died for all of us just overwhelmed me. So many times we go about our daily lives rushing around from place to place and not taking the time to reflect on what we have and why we have it. I arrived in uniform with 12 dozen yellow carnations. I had every intention of making sure that ever grave that did not have flowers would have at least one carnation. It broke my heart that after I had exhausted all my flowers you could not see a difference at all. So many were over grown and have been forgotten. As I was wandering through the graves reading the names, dates and brance of service I was thinking about the sacrifice that these men and women made for ME. About half way through I had kneeled down and was saying a prayer for our Military, as I stood up and wiped away a tear I noticed a small boy maybe 6-7 yrs old and he was looking at me. I smiled and said hello, he asked me what I was doing and I said I was saying a prayer. He looked up at me and said "do you know him"? I said no, he asked me why I was praying for this person. I was trying to think how do you explain something like this to a child? I told him that every life is special and that it is always sad when someone dies and we should always pray for them as well as their family. He just had a look of innocence and wonder. He reached up and took my hand and pulled me through the different graves asking me who is this? when did he die? was he Army or Marine? Then out of the blue he looked at me and said "Sir" will you pray with me for this guy right here? So I knelt down and said a prayer with him and as I wiped the tears away his mom called him back over to sit with her. Well it must have been a good hour or two and I had lost sight of this lil boy. I was walking very slow looking at all the flags and just reflecting back on my service and how many friends I had lost in Iraq when all of a sudden this lil boy came running up to me and wrapped his arms around me and gave me the biggest hug ever. I started crying again and I looked down and said thank you, he looked at me and said no.... thank you. When I asked for what he just smiled and said I don't know but thank you. Dear friends even if you don't support this war please do support the soldiers. Take a moment to thank one you would be amazed at the power of two simple words. Don't talk ill of the war or our military you never know who may be listening. Take a moment once a month and go pick one grave and place a yellow carnation on that site and say a prayer. Stand up and be proud, be proud that your in such a great Country that we have men and women and children willing to die for you, for this Country. ~Semper Fi~

It seems no matter where you are in a relationship it's always lacking trust, and like a key opens a door, trust is what opens a heart. Without trust you begin to worry day and night somehow gaining insecurities within yourself that makes you question the love you two share. You start to feel unworthy, you have so much to say, will there ever be trust or just that constant pain, because of those feelings there's an emptiness in your heart. you feel it's easiest to just move on, but you wonder if you'll ever find a love so strong, so just take his hand, put your trust in him, because love without trust isn't love at all.....

Why am I afraid of the word L.O.V.E? It is so simple to say…. But so hard to do for me…. Maybe it isn't love that's hard it's trusting… Trusting my thoughts…. Trusting my desires…. Trusting my hopes…. Trusting my dreams… Trusting my heart…. Equals my love… Why can't I love you? I don't love me enough to love you with all my heart… Why give you half… When you deserve it all…. The emptiness I feel…. You fill it up… Why can't you have it all? I'm afraid I'm going to hurt your heart…. I just want the best for you…. Sometime I feel like I'm the one for you… Other times I need to stay away from your feelings… Can I mature into the man you need…. Give me your thoughts… Give me your desires… Give me your hopes… Give me your dreams… Give me your heart…. That's love I can't be afraid of … I need faith… If you can add all that together and get love…. Why can't I…?