Wednesday, June 22, 2011

The Life of a Marine Mama...and Care over the Tongue..

Got a text at 11 last night from my Marine...

"just got back from ((roommate's)) "21ST" birthday party. Was Designated Driver for a couple of guys back to their houses..."

text at 11:30pm

"Good nite!....Love you all."

text at 6:10 am this morning

"Good Morning!...about to head out to the Gas Chamber..."

***of course I replied - "Don't Breathe!!"


And here is a phone pic taken when aboard the USS PONCE a short while back...



We MM's know when the boys get bored they can do some loony stuff...Here's my Marine -out in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea (see that tight space?....wanna title this one CABIN FEVER???) dressed up as a teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle going around - jumping out scaring the padoodle out of guys and grabbing at their boots under the stairs in the stairwells...

(((that probably got rough and rowdy!)))

Justin said "I'm not a mutant...I'm a hero in a half-shell!! Turtle power!!!"

Love these guys...Normal He-men... having fun....looking for adventure....committed to doing the job no matter what...HEROES...facing all manner of horrific things we will never even imagine when in Combat Zones... Dedicated to carrying out Justice and completing their mission...totally loyal to their brothers...GOT YOUR BACK...NO man left behind...even if they have to die trying...TOUGH...BRAVE...a little rough around the edges sometimes...Sacrificing....Love their country...when life gets hard, and showers are few and far between, and water in their canteen is as warm as a bowl of steaming soup...and bed is a blanket on hard dirt...and the weather is soaking wet, with not a dry stitch on their bodies and they have another 8 miles to go, and their feet are blistered and hot and covered with athlete's foot...and they are eating the umpteenth MRE in a row with the same selections...
and the mail truck doesn't make it out for the 3rd time...(NO BOXES from HOME!!!) and a brother is wounded or killed, and they have to keep right on fighting with NO time to grieve in the moment....

And some people will carelessly and thoughtlessly comment..."Well, they DID sign up to be a Marine (or soldier, or sailor)...that's what they should expect!"

OH MY.....

As one of my Bloggy sisters said in a poignant post this week.

"What a difference a few words can make."


And I would add a twist here in this post....

"What a difference the right words can make...as opposed to the wrong words."




Yesterday I spoke of a fellow Marine's family who has their Marine returning stateside....badly injured...most likely both legs gone...

what words would I offer???



Thank you again for giving a moment of your day to whisper a prayer to God to strengthen this family as they go to meet their son under trying and grievous circumstances...that their great love for him will cover all silences where words are not needed...

WORDS...they can be a comfort

"Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad." Proverbs 12:25

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Proverbs 16:24


"A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver." Proverbs 25:11




Hugs to any who are popping in. God BLESS you...

7 comments:

Joyce said...

so, so true my friend. not only do I say "be careful what you say" but also "be careful how you say it!" Love you and praying for your move! xoxo

Privet and Holly said...

Sometimes there
are
no
words....
Just, "We are here
for you."
Thinking of you
and thank you for
these beautiful
verses ~ WHAT we
say does make a
difference!
xx Suzanne

Theresa said...

I am a kind and caring, mild mannered, love anyone type of lady! But when someone says something like that to ME... I just might sock them in the NOSE:) Oh yes, and then I will say excuse me? they are dying for your freedom, they are living the rest of their lives damaged... OH YES, they DID sign up to be a Marine and I am so thankful for their sacrifice! Perhaps we should get a T-shirt that says something like "unless you are praising our Marine... don't open your mouth"! Some people are just STUPID!

Love you my friend, I am praying for ALL of our Military and the families loving and missing them! HUGS and ruffled feathers:)!

Julie Harward said...

Words and loose tongues..not good. I love that he was the designated driver, that says it all. :D

Lisa notes... said...

I'm catching your hug, Julie!

You are so faithful to lift up our young brave soldiers to the Father and to us. You really put a face on what it's like to be the mother of a Marine. I can't imagine except through your words.

Love you, sweet friend, and praying you continue to keep us informed of precious people to pray for!

Anonymous said...

oh Julie what wonderful words I needed to hear this morning!! It is funny I had a "friend" who said the same thing to me "well he was the one who signed on the dotted line to do this" a few years back when my son was leaving to go to war and I thought she had just spent 10 min. telling me about her 30 something daughter partying her life away and how upset she was over that, she didn't seem to get the irony in all of that. I thought I was the only one who had heard those words "he signed on the bottom line" bit. Needless to say I have never spoken to her again. Your wisdom is helping again today. Thank you Marine Mom, nancy settel

billypandnikkysmom said...

Julie, I am right there with you...a few months back someone made a nasty comment about my "1/2 My Heart Is In Afghanistan" sitcker...not knowing I was the car owner they just kept it up. I couldn't let it pass, I told them that that was my car and that was my Marine over there protecting this country of ours for people "like you" ~ he doesn't ask for anything & he doesn't complain..watch what you say because you never know who you might be saying it too...I love my son as I am sure your momma loves you. My son is doing a job that not many would do for little pay and the thought of his family behind him worrying and praying that he makes it to the next day and the next day until his boots are back on U.S. soil

He was so taken back by my Marine Momma rant he just put his head down and said sorry ma'am, I didn't know....

Semper Fi ~