the realness scares me.

Watched "We Were Soldiers" last night with Holly and Lori. I knew going into it I would probably cry, it's just the way I am. I didn't know that it was going to affect me so much. We sat there, all three of us, eyes focused on the tv, trying to make sense of it all when all we could really do was express our emotions and come into a deeper knowledge of the costs of war. I thought back to when the War in Iraq began and how scared I was. There was some mention of a draft (rumor maybe?) and that frightened me. My four brothers were all of age, with the youngest just over eighteen. Eighteen. A child in some eyes and a soldier in others. Another one had just ended his service as a Marine less than two years before this all started. Could they make him go back? In the end none of my brothers were sent to war. I was grateful. I realize now, even more than I did then, that someone's brother was sent to war. Someone's father, someone's husband, and someone's son. I am ashamed that I was ever so flippant about the war. People died. Yet somehow, ironically even, life goes on. A part of me wants to believe that the movies was just a movie. However, I know the truth. And I know that war has a cost that is hard to bear.

It is a bit of a coincidence that a few days from now we will be celebrating "July 4th" as most of us call it. However, this year I will be celebrating Independence Day and I will be grateful for the men and women who have been a part of keeping this country's freedom.