Keep Calm and Carry On.

05.28.12

tomorrow is not just any day - it isn’t just another monday, another paid holiday, another day without school. so often we get caught up in all the stresses of our lives that we embrace the day off without remembering why we’re taking it off. memorial day. a day to remember - to memorialize and forever consecrate the memory of those fallen in the line of duty. this weekend has been full of reminders of monday’s holiday. i’d always known that i came from family with a military background, but i never paid much attention to what they did. coming home this weekend and sitting down with my dad , i learned that my grandfather and his brothers fought in the european theater of world war two, as members of the esteemed 442nd regiment. from that same talk, i came to face just how close my father was to getting sent off to vietnam - to the land that claimed hundreds of thousands of men just like him. was it fate? was it a blessing in disguise, or just pure luck? i’m not sure, but whatever it is, i’m undoubtedly thankful for it. and last but not least, attending the air force rotc’s det 055’s dining out brought my perspective of the military full circle - from the service of the past to those who aim to serve in the future. despite the personal qualms that may lie between trent and i now, or to come, i was proud beyond words to see him with the rest of the honor guard doing what he loves and taking full pride in his work, his country, and duty to service. all of the hard working men and women i met today each reminded me a bit of my grandfather. granted, with the wears of time, he is not who he once used to be, but i saw that spark in those men and women today that he once had - as their faces lit up not only for themselves, but for each other during promotions and awards - the same light that my grandfather’s face once glowed with as he recalled the camaraderie he forged with his men in world war 2.

to yukio and takashi, for fighting, returning home, but never forgetting your committment to service.

to kelvin and robby, for making the ultimate sacrifice for your nation - for giving up your life in a foreign nation to better the lives of others.

to jjay and alex, and trent, for continuing the legacy of excellence, integrity, honor, and duty. our nation is safe with you.

to all the named and unnamed men and women who have given their lives to preserve ours. tomorrow is not just another day, tomorrow you will be remembered.

when did i stop caring about what i thought about myself in exchange for what others thought of me? i know what i have to do to make this right, i’m just not really sure if i’m ready to do it.

the vow

  • Paige: I vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness, and to have the patience that love demands. To speak when words are needed, and to share the silence when they're not. To agree to disagree on red velvet cake, and to live within the warmth of your heart, and always call it home.
  • Leo : I vow to fiercely love you, in all your forms, now and forever. I promise to never forget, that this is a once in a lifetime love. And to always know the deepest part of our soul, that no matter what challenges might carry us apart, we will always find a way back to each other.