A Mother's Heart in War . . . Day 68, August 13, 2004

The Friday entries of "The Powder Room" are currently from a journal which I started when we found out our son was going to be deployed with the United States Marine Corps to Iraq. The journal was not written with the intention that it would ever be read by anyone else, much less published in any way. There are feelings in the journal that are deep and true and I wasn't sure at first I wanted to share them. But there are many sons and daughters still serving in our armed forces and I think it might be good to share "a mother's heart" with you what those other mothers may be facing. The entries are shared as a tribute to my son and his service to our country, and to all those sons and daughters who continue to willingly place themselves in harm's way for the protection and preservation of liberty.

Day 68, August 13, 2009

Published in the Mobile Press Register:

Express Honor for Their Service

A common response heard by parents of sons and daughters deployed to Iraq is, "Oh, I'm so sorry! That's terrible!"

First, let me say that we appreciate the concern which such a statement reveals, and doubtless we all would love a world in which our precious young people did not have to risk life and limb in a war zone.

However, we do not live in such a world, and so I would like to make a request: Please think for a moment before you reply, and don't express anything negative to loved ones, who are in fact honored to have sons and daughters who voluntarily joined the U.S. military in order to protect our nation.

To have raised such a son or daughter causes most of us to bow our heads and give thanks that God has overcome our many parental mistakes in order to produce someone who fills our hearts with gratitude.

We are a nation originated and preserved by the sacrifice of patriots, some with their very lives. To be truly American means that we are willing to do the same, and perhaps even more, that we are willing to send our sons and daughters to do the same.

Please join us in the gratitude we feel for our children, and express what a dear lady said to me upon hearing of our son's deployment: "You must be so honored."

Glen Davis