What a weekend!!!!

So I had a really great weekend!!! On Friday night I got tickets to attend the Marine Barracks Evening Parade. It was so awesome!!! The thing that was even cooler was that as I was walking home from the metro to shower and get dressed for it, there was tons of security all over the place. Now some may not think this is unusual since I live in DC but I live right near the Marine Barracks and had never seen so much security before for any of their other Evening Parade presentations. So I stopped and asked one of the guards what was going on and he said well it's Cinco de Mayo! I was like do I look that stupid?!?!?! I know it isn't that. Well they wouldn't answer so I kept walking. Then I saw a Marine and asked him and he informed me that the President of the United States of America was going to be in attendance for this presentation. I was so pumped because I have lived in this city for two years now and not once seen the President, plus I HAD TICKETS TO ATTEND.

Let me tell you, the parade was the most amazing thing I have seen in a long time. The President's Own Marine Band played as well as the Commandant's Own. And I learned that John Philip Sousa was born not six blocks from where I live now and a block and a half from the Marine Barracks. He actually directed the Marine Band for 15 years! They also had this really awesome Silent Drill Team that worked with rifles that had bayonets attached. They didn't use any words to do what they did and it had to be one of the most amazing things. Besides that spending 2 hours around a bunch of Marines all in their dress blues was like heaven on earth
:-).

However even through all that, the reality of life and what is taking place today in our world came down hard. They announced all the special guests who were in attendance for the evening and their was a couple of Marines from Walter Reed Hospital there. I think I have always taken for granted that my Brother came back from Iraq twice in once peice. These men reminded me of the fact that I could have lost him. These men had bravely fought and sacrificed parts of their bodies. I saw men with missing legs and arms, men who were in traction with metal rods sticking out from all angles of their legs, and then some men who were "lucky" enough to have all their limbs but recovering from injuries that it was obvious they had suffered much to get where they were that day. I took advantage of the fact that as we exited after the Parade, the men where being escorted back to their bus, to stop and thank each and everyone of them. I couldn't keep the tears from my eyes as they each accepted my hand and heard my words. It was such an honour and privilige to be able to thank men who gave so much for us. It makes me so angry when people degrade what they have done and lost for this war.

GOD BLESS THE MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR MILITARY WHO DAILY LAY THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR THE SAKE OF OUR PEACE AND FREEDOM!!!!