Memorial Day weekend

What does Memorial Day weekend mean to you?... bet you get excited because of that sweet government holiday we recieve right? ya...I think deep down we all do the happy dance because we know that awesome 4 day weekend filled with BBQ's and friends is upon us.

Well, Memorial Day took a new meaning to me after October 14th, 2006. I saw sacrifice right before my own eyes. At the ripe age of 21, I saw death. My friend, and squad member was shot and killed by a sniper in down-town Baghdad. A moment in my life that I could replay and relive over and over...like it happened yesterday. The smell, the things I saw, the feelings I remember it all. Even more so, I remember Chavis. Who he was to me-his smile, his laugh, his character and his jokes. Life from that day forward was never the same. Memorial Day means more to me than the BBQ's and the friends and the days off. It's time for me to reflect on the sacrifices made by those who have served amongst me. Now, Chavis is not the only friend who has made the ultimate sacrifice... SSgt David Horney, SrA Chad Rice and SSgt Jason Wilburn are forever remembered in my mind. Their deaths were tragic, and still haunt me often. Friends, co-workers, brothers... all taken too soon.

My favorite photo I ever took of Chavis, we were playing spades, and as usual he was telling me how awful I was :)

So, please...at some point this weekend when you are watching your kids play in the backyard, enjoying the smell of those hot dogs on the grill... remember the lives lost for us to have this freedom. Those that no longer can enjoy these moments. Cherish these times and embrace them because life is all too short. Remember those who have fought, and those that are still fighting for our freedom...never asking for anything in return.

Chavis, I always wonder where you would be right now...what you would be doing or saying. Probably singing Rick Ross and dancing around the way you always did. High on life right? I know you would be proud to see what I have become. I have never forgotten and never will, you remain in my heart everyday and to me...you never really left. Your memory lives strong in not just myself, but every single life you touched during your too short life. You are my daughters namesake...and it's not for nothing. It's because I look forward to the day where I can tell her of Mommy's friend, who died protecting her...who died to protect everyone that day. So, on this Memorial Day I promise I will take that moment to thank you, to thank you for your sacrifice for this country. You have been gone almost 5 years now...but you are never ever forgotten.