Two summers ago when my brother and sister-in-law got married, they had as their souvenirs little packets of forget-me-not seeds with their names and the date printed on it, also a little thanks for sharing bit, and please take these seeds home and watch our love bloom and grow....or something....I can't remember. Anyway, I took about 12 packets, intending to sow the seeds of their love all over the world first chance I got.
As fate would have it, that first chance turned out to be last Spring when Elder Miss asked if she could take one of the packets to plant in her class's garden.
I'll be damned, kids. It looks like they took root.
I think, though I can't be absolutely certain, but I am, nevertheless, pretty darn sure, that today is the day my sister-in-law is shipping out for parts Middle Eastward. Her reserve unit was called up earlier this year, and now, alas, the time has come for her to go.
Be safe, Jenny. Be well. Come home; my brother needs you. And if it helps, please know that there are flowers blooming in Norway, against all odds amongst a stain of dead weeds, with your name and your love written all over them.
I leave you with the same advice I gave Mark when he left for Kosovo: If you hear artillery fire, duck. Heroism is entirely over-rated.
*Norwegian for 'forget-me-not', pronounced 'forglem-my-eye'
3 comments:
Thank-you for that, very thoughtful. My 400 days of active duty officially begin tomorrow. I'll spend 3 days in Salt Lake City, about a month in Fort Lewis Washington, then on to Kuwait before actually going into Iraq. I'll be home, don't you worry becuase I'm sure I need your brother more than he needs me. Give the kids a hug for me and hopefully my R&R will line up while you are in the states. Take care. Love, Jenn
Aww... Thanks for that moment of love for my sister. It touched me too. I'm getting all teary over here. It'll be a good thing years seem to keep speeding up on me lately. She'll be home that much quicker. And you're right, Heroism is Totally overrated. :) -Tarilyn (GI Jenn's Sis.)
Read bits and bobs of yr blog; don't know where you bloggers get the time+energy. Butyours is worth reading-can't work out why so many other blogs which are helluva lot less amusing have more comments. May be you mostly do yu7
ours for friends and family which are on the wrong side of the atlantic, rather than comments from passing strangers.
I've never written to a blog-writer previously, though have perused a few in passing (hence unkind words earlier). A bit like passing a moment or 2 in idle chat with someone you sit beside on a train may be?
Wonder why forget me nots are called that in more than one language.
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