Memorial Day

A picture of a dad sitting by the grave of his son stopped me on Memorial Day. The son was a helicopter pilot in Iraq. He was killed flying his last mission.

When we commit sons and daughters to war, every American should have to feel the painful consequences of the reality of battle. It must be a lonely feeling to lose a son or daughter in a war that makes not even a ripple of disruption in the lives of the rest of the country.

If you just kept walking on your way...

O.A.R Dakota

I had a dream about you
It was December in the afternoon
You're something pretty and cool
Signing records as you're passing through

You saw everyone as an angel
But what about the thieves?
Who don't know what do
And don't know who to be
You saw everyone as an angel
But what about the thief?
Who took away from you
He took away from you

If you just kept walking on your way
If you just kept walking on your way
If you just kept walking on, walking on, walking on your way

Behind the archway lies a thief
Awaiting double fantasy
He's something evil underneath
Outside Dakota died the symphony

I think everyone has a devil waiting in the wings
When you don't know what to do
And you don't know who to be
You saw everyone as an angel
But what about the thief?
Who took away from you
Took away from you

If you just kept walking on your way
If you just kept walking on your way
If you just kept walking on, walking on, walking on your way

Maybe this is just a nightmare
And I will wake up
We all will wake up
Maybe this is just a nightmare
December afternoon they took away from you

If you just kept walking on your way
If you just kept walking on your way
If you just kept walking on, walking on, walking on your way
Just walking on your way
Just walk on



Aaron,
This song sings my angst. Thoughts which wrench and strangle my mind are music and poetry in the hands of artists you enjoyed. How often did we have this conversation? You saying I was judgemental, me telling you to use some judgement.

You saw everyone as an angel. But what about the thief? What about the thief? He took away from you. He took away from me.
Maybe this is just a nightmare.
If you just kept walking on your way. Just walk on. Just walk on...please. Just keep walking on your way.

May 10 2000 and forever.
Dad

Calm Before the Storm

May 5th is a quiet day. Aaron will be 22 tomorrow. The night before he was born was very quiet. Probably the same for every young parent who is aware of their last meal before the birth of a first child. There were some laughs during Aaron's life as we told him of the last supper. We knew it was the calm before the storm. Quiet times were a void filled by Aaron's presence. Spilled water does the same with a depression.

Aaron's birthday is quiet because the clock ticks louder on the countdown from here to just after noon on May 10th. For a guy who looked forward to being 18 for so long it's ironic that his life would end so few days into his 19th year.

Looking at his picture on my desk I see the face and the long arms. His body appears to be filling out. I barely remember. Turn the picture sideways and the thickness of the paper represents how clear I remember my son Aaron and I miss him.

Happy Birthday Air Bear.
Love you.
Dad