Every Tuesday I search the local headlines as well as the depths of my own personal life to try and find a soothing story to salve the soul.
An Associated Press story by Lara Jakes published at 9:55 P.M. EDT caught my eye and I wanted to share it with you.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The top general in Iraq is sending home 4,000 more U.S. troops by the end of October as the American military winds down the six-year war. Army Gen. Ray Odierno said in remarks prepared for a congressional hearing Wednesday that the number of U.S. soldiers in Iraq will total about 120,000 over the next month.
Now whether you agree with the desclation of forces or not, it is always nice to come home from Iraq to see your family during a major holiday. Just ask my mother when I surprised her for her birthday (December 22nd) and Christmas by using my leave to fly home and see her; she had no idea I was coming home. I am sure glad she got a chance to set an extra place for me that Christmas.
Maybe you know someone who will still have an empty place at their table this holiday season? Perhaps a loved one is far away or has passed on since they last feasted on "who pudding" and sang "who songs". Though words cannot bring their loved one back they can help ease the mind. Let them know you love them and that love is never far away. The old adage, I have found, is always true: “Want a blessing?…Be a blessing”.
