My name is Holly.
Hello World; How've you been?
{A story and a song about second chances.}
The Story:
The Mr. came home from Afghanistan two December's ago. We've had our ups and our downs, and sometimes we drive each other crazy. Sometimes he says he's depressed. Although, I know that he is suffering from post-traumatic disorder (PTSD) from the two previous combat deployments. We lost 8 guys from the first, and 20 from the most recent. (That doesn't even include the injured.) To say he came unscathed, is a lie. My husband had a near death experience in Afghanistan, that shook my world. You can read, here.
Last night, I was searching for bonding glue to make these mini ginger bread houses for Miss K's pre-school to decorate, down in the basement, and I was searching through my scrapbooking box, when I came across a unfamiliar red notebook. Back in the Marine Corps, I used notebooks to write my thoughts- to vent- about my situations in MRP at Geiger. Channeling through memory lane, I opened the notebook, and realized that it was my husband's-- addressed to me. He had never given me the notebook before, and well, I hid downstairs for awhile, and read it. It was his Afghanistan journal. Tears welled up in my eyes as I read his hopes, his fears, and his un-dying love for me and Miss K. (Sometimes, life gets in the way, and you forget not to take each other for granted.) After I dried up the tears, I headed back upstairs, and showed him the notebook. He looked at me, and smiled. He read the journal, and said he had forgotten about it. He said he was trying to forget his experiences, and he wrote it, in hopes that someday, some one else would read it. Today, is the day. {If you have trouble reading the letters, click on them, and they will get bigger in a different window.}
"Traffic cars, cell phone callsTop video screams at me
Through my tender window I see
A little girl, rust red minivan
She's got chocolate on her face
Got little hands, And she waves at me
Ya, She smiles at me
Hello World
How've you been
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel, cold as steel
Broken like I'm never gonna heal
I see a light, little hole
In the little world
Hello world
Every day I drive by
A little white church
It's got these little white crosses
Like angels in the yard
Maybe I should stop on in
Say a prayer
Maybe talk to God
Like he is here
Oh I know he is there
Ya, I know he's there
-----------------------
Hello world
How've you been
Good to see you, my old friend
Sometimes I feel as cold as steel
And broken like I'm never going to heal
I see a light
A little grace, a little faith unfurled
-----------------------------------
Hello world
Sometimes I forget what living's for
And I hear my life through my front door
And I'll be there
Oh I'm home again
I see my wife, little boy, little girl
Hello world
Hello world
All the angels disappearsI remember why I'm here
Just surrender and believe
I fall down on my knees
Oh hello world
Hello world
Hello world"
~Lyrics from Lady Antebellum
*All images belong to Semper Fi to Apple Fi, and this blog is copy-righted. Do NOT take images; it's unlawful.*
