PRIDE and DANCING

Well I heard from my sweet, sweet Solider this morning. What an awesome way to start the day, and the 4th of July weekend. Through the glory of Facebook and technology we can chat and email and send pictures on a computer from around the globe, during WAR TIME!

Who in past wars and conflicts can say they were able to do that?! Remember poor Scarlett who had to stand amongst a crowd of stinky people (because you KNOW they didn't have indoor pluming and only bathed on Saturdays) just to check to the new list that had come out of casualties. Now I know she was in love with a married man, but she had to go months on end without knowing who was alive and who was okay, and who wasn't.

So when I've spent two weeks without a peep from my kid I get a little worried. I wear his dogtags near my heart every moment. The closest thing I have of him. Yet how LUCKY am I that I can turn on the computer and see he's okay! That I can get an email or instant chat and not wait for weeks on a letter.
Then...... I hear a song on the radio on my way to the salon that was the epitome of all last year that he spent with us. This leads to another point..........
I danced, I had the radio up as loud as it would go. I was so happy just to know Matt is okay. So pulling up to a redlight I see a coworkers van. So with my windows down, and dr. pepper in hand I was just dancing like a maniac and singing at the top of my lungs. I thought she would laugh and enjoy how absolutely adorable I am. Well, I look over, and my very white friend with long red hair was an asian woman with a short black bob who's eyes turned into saucers when she saw the hysterical dancing blonde girl next to her.

Oh well. Ha Ha Ha. Same thing happened in the parking lot of Wal Mart last week after Michael Jackson died.

So the Fourth is starting today... people are off and I notice every flag flying. I'm even more proud to be in America and celebrate this year now that I've realized the sacrifices our men and women soldiers make. Because of knowing my stepson and friends who are Army Soliders, I feel so much more connected to my grandfather who fought in WWII... Who's birthday would be tomorrow and so is my Dixie dogs!!! And I JUST found out last week Dixie's birthday is the fourth. Had NO idea but her human mom that watched her be born told me for a fact. So how patriotic is she that she was born on the fourth of July, and WE named her DIXIE?!?!?! And my Papaw James *who I am proudly named after* loved his dogs so much.... and I'm going to choose to think he sent this special doggy to me, because she is the perfect dog. And I know without a doubt he loved ME so much. And to think of his war efforts, for all of us, and for his grandchildren and their children makes me so proud to be a descendant of the Ticer family.
I just couldn't be more proud or happy and bittersweet today.

And I won't go into detail about Memorial Day and how I cried like and idiot running around at 90 mph in the Natl Veterans Cemetery sticking fallen flags back in the ground at the headstones after a bad storm. The husband thought I was nuts, especially when I saluted SOME of the graves, but I HAD to fix their flags! And y'all don't EVEN know how big this cemetery is. FInally the Indian Husband helped so we could hurry and go eat dinner. And no, thats NOT me going into detail. Trust me.

So this year, I'm going to realize everything that my step son and his friends I got to know so well are doing. And I'll remember the screaming outburts and flashbacks my grandfather had, and know that no one will ever know what those war times were like. Yet I'll be so thankful my Papaw James came home and I knew him for my first 17 years.

And I will be so proud and thankful to be where I am, and safe, and know above all God is watching over every little thing, and my worries should be given all to him, so I can just dance in the car and be happy.


P.S.
GO SCREAMIN' EAGLES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!