Weighty Sacrifice

We sat behind a friend's family today at church. The father is soon deploying for 14 months to Afghanistan. The family endured a shorter deployment last year and it was rough. They have three daughters and the youngest is 6, the oldest is in my primary class. I looked over at one point today and the youngest was snuggled up in her father's arms looking absolutely like a supremely contented tiny baby. It broke my heart. Dad too had his eyes closed soaking up the moment and then I saw my friend look over and capture the scene. We caught each other's moist eyes in acknowledgement.

I am so grateful for our troops and their families that sacrifice so much for us. I so admire these families, it's beyond words.