I see your smile and the day brightens,
like sunlight through a window.
What a surprise when I scrolled down the page.
Seeing your beautiful face took my breath away.
My son, my wonderful son.
Seeing your smile, brought a smile to my face,
and it was as if.....
as if you were just gone somewhere for training,
or on deployment,
and you posted a picture with your buddy/brother to say,
"Hey, here I am! I'm doing well."
Refreshing and uplifting.
Your smile, the twinkle in your eyes,
the certainty of joy, and peace.
You were in your element,
loving life.
It brought peace and joy to my heart.
I sat and enjoyed the presence of your smile,
the spirit of all you are,
right there in the image
that is you.
I scrolled down some more.
Shock.
The room began to spin.
I felt sick.
Another photo - with headlines
"Skydiving Training Accident."
It was like a bad dream.
How could it be?
There was the familiar aerial image -
the flag covering the body,
military brothers close by.
But, it happened two years ago.
Why would it be posted now?
It didn't make sense,
yet I knew what I was seeing.
I read the news report.
The date was yesterday morning.
There must be some mistake.
How could it be yesterday, when is was clearly a sad, familiar picture?
I continued reading.
The man was in the Navy.
That was not my son.
No, he was someone else's son.
In the same place,
doing the same thing,
when a malfunctioning parachute
ended his time here on this earth.
My heart broke for the family of this young man.
They would have gotten the knock at the door.
They would've heard the same words we
heard that early morning at one thirty, about Caleb.
"There has been an accident.
There was a problem with your son's parachute.
I'm afraid there was a malfunction...."
My world came crashing in once again -
At the same time I thought of the family, and the young Navy Seal.
So close....
two elite groups of men train in similar places - Recon Marines and Navy Seals.
Different.
Yet, brothers.
There was some criticism out there about the photo.
It broke my broken heart.
Yes, it was terrible.
That was someone's son.
I know.
I saw almost the very same picture -
the flag covering the body, not that long ago.
It was hard.
It hurt a lot to know that was my son.
And yet,
from my perspective -
There was honor.
Not shame.
The American flag covered his body.
What better way to protect, to respect,
to silence those who don't understand.
Nothing else would have sufficed.
The way it should be for any patriot who sacrificed his life.
There was honor in his life.
There was honor in that picture.
He gave his life for that flag.
He knew what that flag stood for.
He believed in what it meant.
He knew the history, the many thousands of
lives that were sacrificed for the
liberty that flag represents.
No, I didn't see it as shameful.
There are many things in this world that are shameful.
Many things that should not be shown, and yet are exploited
and nothing is said.
My perspective -
There was honor beneath that flag.
I salute my son.
I salute the young Navy Seal.
I go to sleep tonight
with a heavy heart for the family who is beginning this hard journey.
Yet, I am granted once more a glimpse of greatness.
I can see the smile on my son's face.
I see
the image of my son who could stand in peace and confidence, with a smile
because he stood for liberty, and freedom.
There is no shame in that.
