A Lost Soldier
The Tale of a Fathers Love
As he held me in the airport our eyes aligned. My new father. I let out a small squeal as any infant does. He smiled back at me as a tear slowly rolled down his cheek. This is My father, the man who i aspire to be. He is the one who has taught me to ride a bike and when i fall down to get back up and keep going. He is the one my brothers and i try to mimic. We sit like him, cross our legs in the same manner, and even have the same humor. This is the man who has taught me to respect all women. He is the one who would read The Chronicles of Narnia every night as i fell asleep to his words imagining impossible worlds and crazy adventures. He is the man who prayed with me every night and makes sure his love for my mother is public and known. He has shown me both sides of a marriage. The Lovely side and the hard side. Through both, he showed us how to get through. He taught us the two most important words of marriage: “Yes Dear!” He has walked me through the bible and challenged me with my faith! He is the man i could not live without. Dad I love you!
First World Conviction
It interesting to think how much i have. Being a Mid-Class american i often think about what i DONT have. I could use a new car, I really want some more V necks and lets be honest i could REALLY go for some more food! We have so much yet we are in a constant state of want. I mean, we have multiple devices to entertain us from Xbox360s to Ipads yet we still admit that we are bored with our mediocre life. Like Charlie Chaplin stated “Machines that give abundance have left us in want”. We get so caught up in our own first world problems that we dont have a clue whats going on in the rest of the world. There are kids literally starving in africa, girls in south america that are forced to sell their bodies so they can have something to eat, and boys sniffing clue so that they dont feel the pain of hunger. And what do WE say? “My phone wont send texts today…this sucks”. “My bed is to warm!”. “Water from the tap is gross”. I recently took a trip to kenya. We walked through one of the poorest areas in Nairobi. We did not see sad faces but rather, we saw smiles. People were content with their lives. It was strange because they have nothing yet they still find a reason to smile. They were just happy they woke up or that they had their family still. They saw the important factors in life and made the best of it. Why is it that we are so upset with out luxurious lives yet people with nothing are happier then us?
36,000 Feet
Being on an airplane for 20 hours gives you time to think! As i sit in seat 27-C I can only appreciate Gods glory and creation. On my way to kenya i look out the window only to be greeted by the northern lights. Green and dancing along the horizon, I could tell that is was showing the beauty of God. 5 Hours later I watched the proverbial sunrise coming over the pacific and was starstruck by how beautiful it was. But seeing the swiss alps was my absolute favorite. You could honestly tell that God had fun making those! Such beauty and glory all pointing straight to God! It almost looked as if God Perfectly sprinkled powdered sugar over the mountains! I cant help but to thank God for the wonderful sights he has given us! Praise God!
Airports
You know that feeling you get in airports? The feeling of anxiety and excitement all at once? The feeling you get from knowing that you could leave to anywhere at any moment? And that feeling you get knowing you are leaving home? In my short time on earth i have had many moments like these at airports. The first would be arriving in america as my mother and i came through customs and saw my father for the first time. It was more of their experience due to that fact that i was only 4 months old. 8 years later i would admire the people walking by with large brown eyes only wondering why they are here. I soon began to wonder what their stories were. Who was the man with a briefcase and suit? Or the woman with the screaming child? Was today their first time flying? Are they running to their family or away from their family? Many of these thoughts plagued my mind until a few years later. I remember watching my brothers leave the country as they went to greece. On one occasion they came back after the news that close family friend died. They were greeted with sorrowful looks and faces full of sadness. Yet at the same spot we welcomed them back with tears of grief we welcomed my future sister in-law with tears of joy. Seeing my brother grown and with his future wife only brought me back to when we were kids. How we would fight over who gets to play the gameboy or which person gets to play zelda. We made the airport out playground, wondering around the stores causing trouble and looking for places to hide from our parents. Even recently i recall looking down on the country of kenya as i remember all the street kids i worked with. It gives me hope to know that their lives can be changed. Airports have given me the ability to cherish memories, to make new ones, and to learn from certain situations. I can only hope that i can experience more adventures.
