Today (which is now probably yesterday) I was celebrated by my nation and more importantly by my two sons, 18 and 20 years old, it being Mother’s Day and all. I hope my Kajukenbo sisters who are mothers were also celebrated and had a joyous day.
Yesterday (which would probably be the day before yesterday), I attended a martial arts tournament. A young girl sang the National Anthem from her heart-- you know the kind of rendition that moves your heart and gives you goose bumps. Usually I’m just pissed off that George has us in this war and soliders and civilians are dying. But, for the first time since I can remember, I felt an overwhelming sadness for the families with sons and daughters serving in our military forces overseas. Not just the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan, but in Korea, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, Island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, Guantanamo Bay and anywhere else good ol, Uncle Sam sees fit to send ‘em.
As an army brat for over 18 years and one who never left New Jersey, I still have a good grasp on military chain of command thinking. My father and all our extended family had men who either served in the military or made a career in the military. He was an Army NCO and retired as a Sgt. Major (he died back in 1971). He worked on missiles, spent a lot of time going back and forth to Texas. He never was stationed overseas for more than a year--ergo we lived off based and I grew up in the same neighborhood until I graduated from high school. I was one of the lucky kids in that regard. Today, we have 2 family members choosing to serve in the Air Force as a military career.
The irony of Mother’s Day that we celebrate nationwide is that it was founded in protest of the Civil War beginning with Julia Howe’s publishing the Battle Hymn of the Republic. It became a continual call for peace to women all over the world because Anna Jarvis started her own crusade to found a memorial day for women. As a result, Mother’s Day was officially declared a holiday by President Woodrow Wilson in 1912.
This post isn’t about pro or anti-war. This is about saluting and honoring the mostly young men and women who serve our country born of their idealism and courage to protect our nation with their lives. A trooper goes wherever their Commander-in-Chief says they go. If he calls for a war, then there they go.
So on this Mother’s Day, for my sisters whose sons and daughters are now serving their country, especially on a battlefield, I wish and pray that your loved ones are protected and they come home safely. And for my sisters, on this Mother’s Day, whose sons and daughters have died serving their country because they believed that was the right thing to do, may your hearts be filled with only loving memories and the beauty of their spirits. And to my brothers and sisters in Kaju who are currently serving in the military, as the Old Irish Blessing says, “…May the Lord hold you in the palm of his hand.”
