On This Day.....

We all have a story, don't we?

On this day 8 years ago, I sat at my desk in the University at Buffalo Financial Aid Office, processing financial aid documents for students who had filed them late. We were already into the fall semester, and the busy-ness of the summer semester (always our busiest time) was behind us. I looked outside at a glorious day - blue skies, warm temperatures and a soft breeze came through the open window next to me. All of a sudden, my friend came back from the front of the office and announced that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center and I immediately called Ron who was at home watching CNN and FOX News as he still does in the morning. We put the TV on in the conference room and all of us took turns watching it. I knew that Laurie was not at her duty station at Fort Knox, but rather at another post across the country for some training. Someone had a radio which was always on during the day - not loud enough most days for anyone else to hear, but suddenly, on that same (normally quiet) radio, we all could hear the terrible news as it unfolded. It was unthinkable to know what was happening and when the Pentagon was hit, it became very personal to me since Laurie had met many soldiers from the Pentagon at an NCO training course only weeks earlier. My mind immediately envisioned the graduation program and the names of the soldiers and their home bases. I can still see 'Pentagon' listed so many times.

My fear then was, 'what was Laurie hearing so far from home?' And was Scott listening at his new apartment, or watching this on TV? My prayer was that my children were not afraid - not as afraid as their mom was at that moment.

We heard that students were crowded around the TVs in the Student Union - so many of our student population were from NYC and their thoughts must have been so far away from classwork. At 1 pm, Governor Pataki announced the closing of UB for the day and we all went home to watch the morning's terrible events on TV.

Laurie called bot Ron and I when she was able to, knowing that we would be worried about what was going on where she was. She couldn't talk long but we at least heard her voice....and Scott's shortly after hers.

Laurie said that they had been given updates all morning long and that although they were supposed to leave the next morning, with the airlines not operating it would be several days before she could go "home." Scott was frightened beyond words and eventually he realized that his greatest fear was because he knew his sister no longer served in a time of peace.
I think my most lasting vision of that day was the dust and destruction surrounding those buildings...and the empty fire and rescue trucks buried in that rubble...of wondering where the occupants of those trucks had gone; of the surviving firemen sitting on the curbs in total shock.

It's all personal - yet shared by us all - what the events of that day mean to us.

May God be with the families of those lost that day...and protect those who still work to keep it from happening again - from the President, to our military, the fire and police men and women, right down to each American citizen.

May He bless us all.

Looking Back - and Ahead.

It's been a little over 3 years since I sat down at my computer and began this blog. It's been a journey of ups and downs, but all of the twists and turns, and each one of the steps along the path have been blessed by God. Stephen has returned from the sand, Laurie is in the top third of her class, and we have had a wonderful 10 month adventure with a little boy named Kasey.

Being a Two Star Mom is very important to me. But we have Scott back home in Buffalo, and his little 5 year old daughter - our granddaughter Veronica. We affectionately call her Binker - although I have no idea how our family came up with that nickname. And then there is Luke - our 12 year old grandson - our former daughter in law's son by her first husband and whose picture will be added to the ones above when we have a new one of him. Seven years ago when Scott and Tina married he became our grandson (actually we loved him from the moment we met him)- and he always will be. Divorce changes things, but not our love for the children involved in our lives. Things haven't been easy for Scott recently, but are looking up now and it's really going to be nice to spend some time with him as he makes his own plans and to let him know that we believe in him just as we believe in what Laurie and Stephen do.

In my very first post in July of 2006, I said, 'It’s not just about the soldiers, but about the soldier’s sibling - your son, and the things going on in his life.'
True to that statement, next week we will leave this beautiful state and travel back to Buffalo to see Scott, and Veronica, and Luke. We have been blessed by God's grace and He has given us good health and modest means - enough to travel where we like across this great country and still be able to travel back "home" (far apart but two states are home to us now) to see our children and grandchildren as often as we like. When parents have two children (actually, three counting Stephen), they want to be involved in all of their lives. And yet, we know when to bow out for awhile. Stephen and Kasey are fine here - a happy little boy who adores his daddy...and a daddy who is content in all of that, and proud of his wife who is working so hard to achieve a goal not easily reached. I am not looking forward to leaving our boys for 3 months, but we are getting excited at the thought of seeing Scott and the kids. Once a mom and grandma, always a mom and grandma. It will be good to see our friends, to sit in my favorite pew at church with my good friend Betty, to worship with my Christian family, and listen to our Pastor's awesome sermons. Not to mention that to travel with Ron is always a unique experience in itself - we do love our road trips. I am so thankful for his sense of humor. We are both working on patience. :)

Lily has finally become a contented doggie. She knows this is home, I think. Of course she will be wondering what gives next week when we take our "show" on the road again. Sometimes we look at her and you can almost see it in her eyes or read it in the way she cocks her ears...."why did you people leave a perfectly good house with a deck with warm sunbeams shining on it (perfect for naps), and lots of room to play?" Other times I think if she could talk she would just say, "are you kidding me???" She hears me say that all the time. :)

And tomorrow is my last session with my physical therapist - my physical therapist's husband just left for his deployment. She is kind of young, but not a stranger to deployment as this is the third time they have experienced it.

About 18 months ago, when we knew Stephen's deployment was imminent, we were visiting Laurie and Stephen and Kasey when they were on temporary duty away from here. As always, they made the best of it.

One day while we were there, Laurie had to go over on post to the PX and I wandered into one of the little boutiques outside the main PX and came across some military pins. One in particular caught my eye - it was a typical yellow ribbon pin, but with a charm of the Army star attached. I bought it and wore it nearly every single day when Stephen was deployed. It didn't matter if I was dressed up, or dressed down. The pin went on and I wore it over my heart, along with my two star pin. It now lies on the table here next to me and I figure I have a few good choices as to what to do with the pin: I could put it in my keepsake box as a momento of this time in our lives when God blessed us so by bringing Stephen home safely. Perhaps I could continue wearing it in support of our still deployed troops.

Or I could give it to my physical therapist - to let her know that she isn't alone, and that this mom of two soldiers cares about her soldier and appreciates his sacrifices and hers as well. And that is what I will do tomorrow. I can leave a bit of who I am behind me. I will probably never see this young woman again, but I will think of her often, and her husband too.

And so, as life does, we move forward - never forgetting to look back at the blessings and to be thankful for the present.

God is so good.

May He bless you.