Real Heroes

There are certain songs that, no matter how many times I hear them, bring me to tears. I Hope You Dance, a mother's anthem to her children, encouraging them not to "sit it out" but "dance" every chance they get, does me in every time. In My Daughter's Eyes by Martina McBride and Our Story Goes On from the musical Baby, sport lyrics that speak of the gratitude that comes with being a mom and both reduce me to a puddle whenever they pop up on the radio.

And then there's Goodnight, Saigon by Billy Joel.

Listening to a young soldier lament the horrors of the Vietnam war as the chorus chants  "We said we'd all go down together" is the stuff of every mother's nightmares. Every time I hear it, I think of all the promising young men we've lost to wars; all the hopes and dreams that were vanquished by the stupidity of military conflict. But yesterday, as I listened again to the haunting lyrics, I was especially moved by the line "we promised our mothers we'd write" and I couldn't help thinking of all the moms who've sent their precious baby boys (or girls) off to fight, not knowing if they would ever get the chance to hold them in their arms again.

I honestly don't know how they do it.

Today is Memorial Day, a day we honor our military forces and all the brave men and women who have paid the ultimate price defending our freedom. I can't imagine what it would be like to be the mother of a soldier; to send my child off to Vietnam or Iraq or Afghanistan.  I can't imagine the worry, the fear, and the sadness that would come with that task and, while I'm beyond grateful that I never had to make such a sacrifice, my heart breaks for those who have.

I'm glad I heard the song. It made me stop and think about who our country's real heroes should be. Forget about those vacuous celebrities who are spending millions of dollars to get married in some castle in Italy. Forget about the cheating sports stars who buy off their wives with ice cube-sized baubles. Forget about politicians who can't work for the greater good of the country because they're too busy trying to get re-elected.

In this celebrity-crazed world, it's easy to lose sight of who the real heroes are but the brave women who wait and pray for their sons and daughters (and husbands) to return safely from their tours of duty and the heroic men and women who have fought and continue to fight for freedom all over the world seem like a good place to start. They should have nothing but our unending admiration and respect (not to mention a Veteran's Administration that doesn't make them wait months to see a doctor).

One day on the calendar is not nearly enough.