Reality Check

I'm currently positioned comfortably criss crossed on my couch, lap top front and center, TV set to the limited commercial presentation of Pearl Harbor and the local newspaper at my side. Today is Veteran's Day. And while I woke up this morning with my to do list running through my mind, simply looking forward to a day off work, no thought as to what this day actually represents; I am forcefully (and thankfully) reminded of the lives that were lost at my expense, so that I can sit here, in the comfort and convenience of my home, writing this very post. All too often we, as Americans, forget. We get caught up in the busyness of our lives, the stress that "living the American dream" so often brings upon us, that we forget what it took to give us the simple comfort of sleeping on a bed, with a roof over our head, and clothes on our back. The little things that we so often take for granted.

Today the register guard reported on a bombing in Baghdad, a subject that seems to be all too familiar in the news these days. And as painfully sad as it makes me to admit this, I often times simple skim over these articles. I glimpes at the number of deaths and think to myself "how sad", say a small prayer under my breath and move on to the next article. This article popped out to me though, it's title drawing my interest; "Wave of bombings terrorizes, kills Christians in Baghdad." The picture attached to the article showing an Iraqi man inspecting his destroyed car at the scene of the bombing. I tried for a moment to imagine the feeling of walking out to my car in the morning, on my way to work, and finding my car completely scorched.

As I read I was challenged to imagine what life must be like for them; as "a dozen roadside bombs (were set off) Wednesday... sending terrified famiilies into hiding behind a church where walls are still stained from blood from an attack nearly two weeks ago." The article went on to tell of one man's story: "On Oct. 31, Thomas' brother-in-law bled to death on the church floor after militants stormed the building, shot congregants in the first row, held others hostage and then set off bombs when Iraqi forces came to the rescue. Then Wednesday morning, two bombs went off in quick succession outside his home. 'We are terrified,' said Thomas, who sought refuge at the church with his family on Wednesday. 'I cannot go back to my house. They will attack again. They want to kill us.'"

While we sit here and enjoy a day of honoring our Veteran's and the sacrifice they made so that we can have the freedom we so ungratefully enjoy, let us not forget those who are still fighting, those who have no comforts to enjoy, those that wake up with nothing on their to do list but to survive, and the soldiers that have willingly given themselves to fight along side them.