If you view my Facebook notes, then you may have already seen this link. To put it succinctly, 2 Marines were killed in Afganistan this week, both from the city of Yorba Linda, just 5 miles or so from where I live. One was a 45-year-old LAPD SWAT officer and the other a 19-year-old who joined the Marines right out of high school.
In the meantime, I spent my week doing normal things...work, attending Grandparents' Day at Mackenzie's school, shopping, gardening, watching TV. Stuff I do most of the time on autopilot, while these men and others like them are putting their lives on the line minute by minute. My granddaughters went to Disneyland. I took my dog for a walk and then went through the drive-thru to get dinner. Nothing in my life has changed, but everything has changed in the lives of the people who knew and loved these Marines.
In my defense, I am very conscious of the war we are fighting and the sacrifices that are being made by so many. I have volunteered at a VA hospital, I adopt soldiers and Marines through SoldiersAngels.com, I write letters and I try to pray for our troops and their families everytime I think about them. I'm not saying this to blow my own horn, but to make a point. Even as much time as I spend focussing on our military, my life doesn't change. That's a good thing--it shows how successful they are in fighting the war on terror and keeping it far from us; however, my perspective may be off at times. I am not impacted directly by what goes on in the war. I haven't lost anyone that I know--I don't personally even know any soldiers or Marines.
I don't want to lose sight of what's really important and I hope that I don't take my life and the privileges I enjoy as a citizen of this country for granted. God has blessed us beyond what we deserve. I am grateful every day that I was born in this country and know what freedom is.
It makes me realize that my attitude is often off-kilter. I can find the most trivial things to be irritated by and complain about. I spend too much time complaining and not enough time realizing that my "suffering" is minute when compared with what goes on daily in countries around the world. It's not that I intentionally ignore what's happening in other countries, it's just that I'm very seldom touched by it on a personal level...it's more esoteric...
Thinking about the loss of these 2 Marines helps to shape my attitude. How I view life and what's really important is a matter of perspective. I have to remind myself every day.
Thank you for your service and sacrifice. Rest in Peace.
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