Oct

I’ll post my own videos and pictures at some point in the near future.

May

My grandfather was shot in WWII, fighting Germans in France. He survived and went on to live a very long life, but he lost many friends… fellow soldiers. My biological father was an infantryman in Vietnam. His experiences drove him to alcohol abuse, by the time he returned. In the several years following his return, he slowly drank himself to death, passing away when I was six years old, having never known me.

My husband served in Iraq for a year and a half, both in Mosul and Baghdad. He also saw the loss of several fellow friends & soldiers. One of which is named on a bracelet Pani wears, 24/7. I read that soldier’s story and his legacy.com guestbook, thanks to a new layer available for Google Earth. Reading through the grief that his fiance, stepmother, and Tia all felt – and continue to feel – reminded me that tomorrow is not just a day off of work. Nor is it a reason to get drunk or barbecue with friends. It’s a day of remembrance, for those who have died, so that we can live freely.

While you are all out enjoying this beautiful weekend, please spare a minute or two and be thankful for those who passed away, before their time, and the families who sacrificed their loved ones… so that you could have the right to enjoy the three-day weekend in a manner you see fit.

Nov