War Hits Home

"So what will you be doing over there?"  It was a stupid question asked at a stupid time.  Thankfully my wife of 27 years gave me "the look" which prompts me to pull out of such verbal nose dives.  My future son-in-law, to whom the question was directed, also gave me a "look."  What I saw in his eyes brought reality crashing in fast and hard.  He is a 2nd Lieutenant in the US Army, a specially trained Ranger about to be deployed on his first tour in Afghanistan.  And he had just walked into the kitchen with our daughter after proposing marriage.  She was beaming with excitement and I was almost blinded by the diamond studded ring.  It was a moment of great joy.  Interrupted briefly by my stupid question.  "So what will you be doing over there?"  What did I think he would be doing?  Playing Nerf basketball?  Tiddly Winks? No,  he will be doing what a soldier has been trained to do.  Suddenly I felt the wind knocked out of me; a sudden moment of recognition.  The war hit home in the midst of a joyful moment.  It has never been this close, this personal.  It will be more than a news story now, more than some general sympathy for others who have sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers in harms way on a daily basis.  So I join those who pray daily, incessantly....."Lord, bring him home safely."