Reflections on Life

[cincymarsdad]

This was passed on to me by a friend. The story relates to my son's procession after his memorial service here in Cincinnati by my house. What had been intended as a quiet "5 car" procession by the house and back to the funeral home turned into an 80 car procession and a considerable traffic tie up, including the police shutting down 4 lanes of I-75 for a while, something my son would have enjoyed immensely. We pretty well mangled lunch hour traffic in northern Cincinnati. The email below was written by a harried executive locally about his experience, not knowing that the Marine involved was my son. I pass this on hoping that some of you here will similarly reflect on life, and death, and why we are here.

My son now rests at Arlington, at least what remains of his earthly body. Vulture 6 who posts herein made the effort to attend the Arlington ceremony, something for which I was very moved. I hope this also leads you to reflect on real sacrifice that our country has made over the 200+ years we have been here. Perhaps not every war was completely justified, but those who served did so thinking of their squad members.

As we come to Veterans Day and Memorial Day, I hope you will sincerely reflect on the real cost and real sacrifice so many have made, and that you will some day visit Arlington if you haven't. It is a very moving experience, even if your only son is not there.


"What had started out to be a busy day (or typical day lately), didn't ease in anyway, shape, or form. A 7:30 breakfast meeting, into office for update meeting, conference call, meeting over budgets, meeting to review budgets, preparation for upcoming budget presentations/negotiations, phone calls, emails, and on......

Leave for a quick lunch, get a sandwich and bring back to office to eat while working on other reports needing my attention, thoughts running wild through my head of all the "to dos" on my list as I drove to a drive through......came to a screeching halt. What is the major hold-up, a traffic snarl at this hour of the day?

I come to a stop just east of Reading Road, heading west on Glendale Milford Road, and I can see at the intersection a fire truck pulled across the intersection. A police car is sideways in the intersection before the recreation center, people out of their cars.........when I can see further off on Glendale Milford Road, heading east bound (towards me, not yet to the intersection of Reading and Glendale Milford) a caravan. Police motorcycle, cars in line with their headlights on......a hearse. It is a funeral procession, it looks huge. Why the extra traffic control? Why are people out their cars waiting?

As it finally nears to my location, I have stopped and pulled over (although people are looking at me like I am crazy, going by me, even though they could only go a few hundred yards before they will be forced to stop, thinking to myself how civilized they are in the south where everyone stops in both directions for funeral processions), I now see the hearse and the following procession is flying the United Sates flag, as well as the Marine Corps flag. It must be one of the Marines, killed in action in Iraq recently.

As the procession got closer, within a hundred feet of me, I could feel a wave of a strong presence surround me. I immediately felt cold chills cover my entire body. Tears began falling form my eyes, I shook/cried uncontrollably. I was overcome by a presence. I was overcome with a peace and sorrow at the same time. All my worldly thoughts, worries and concerns were gone. It was a long processions and as I sat there, as I began praying; thanking, praising and asking for God's grace, not for me, but for the family of the fallen soldier. For our country and its leaders, for the rest of the soldiers placing their lives on the line everyday to protect me and the rest of our country.

It finally passed and I began to move on, got my lunch, but stopped and ate it under a tree with the window down, listening to the birds, enjoying a breeze.

I finally returned to work, knowing I still had a job to do, it is my contribution to make our country great, but with a new frame of mind. My decisions will not be life or death. They will affect many peoples lives, some for the good, some for the bad. However, this old would will continue to turn, life will go on, no matter what I do, or decide to do.

Just my reflections on life.......do with this email as you see fit. Delete it, forward it, but I do hope that you will read it and that somehow it has brought a moment of peaceful contemplation, as we all rush though our "to do" lists in life.

jim"

[SGRock]

Thank you for posting that sir. As a Marine, currently not on active duty, I am sometimes moved to tears when I hear of a fellow Marine has died in Iraq or Afghanistan. It moves me whenever one of or service members has died but especially one of my brothers. I am proud to be in a nation where civilians know the price of freedom and are humbled by the sacrifice that Marines, such as your son, have made to secure that freedom for us and the rest of the world.

Thank you again sir.

[SpongeJuan]

Well not everyone knows the price of freedom. Some people think that it is just given and they don't recognize the people who get to sleep in places they never thought they would, eat food they would've never find themselves eating, and be places they would've never wanted to be in. But someone has to do it. I once saw a video online of a man who was saying that every Marine, soldier, sailor, and airmen that has died in Iraq is stupid for dying. He was a sick fuck!!!

[SGRock]

Originally Posted by spongejuan

Well not everyone knows the price of freedom. Some people think that it is just given and they don't recognize the people who get to sleep in places they never thought they would, eat food they would've never find themselves eating, and be places they would've never wanted to be in. But someone has to do it. I once saw a video online of a man who was saying that every Marine, soldier, sailor, and airmen that has died in Iraq is stupid for dying. He was a sick fuck!!!

Well said Spongie!

[SpongeJuan]

thanks