I had planned to write about the field trip today and be flippant and silly. But before I posted I did what I normally do to wind down. I blog-surfed.
Today has been a very painful day for many people. My heart is absolutely breaking tonight. I decided that I just wouldn’t blog at all tonight. My heart hurt too much to be able to think clearly and my heart just feel so very heavy. Until my husband looked at me and just said one word. Write.
You see, I first came across an entry of saddness and shock that told of the passing of a man who was so obviously loved by many people, both in his real life and online. Rick “Waistdog” Bedford died yesterday. I will admit, I did not know the man. Yet, I sat and read every comment left to his bereaved family and friends. I read every kind and loving word that friends and strangers alike wrote. I read from people who knew him in his real life. I read things written by people who only knew him through his online comments. What I read was amazing. He touched so many lives. So many people came together to tell stories of how his life touched theirs. I read with tears streaming down my face for the loss of the life of a man I never knew; yet, from reading of other’s love and admiration of him, I could get a glimpse of the incredible man he was. My heart breaks for those who love him and are hurting over this loss, the one’s whose hearts have a new emptiness in them that only he could fill. My heart breaks.
On a blog I read regularly, again I saw the sorrow and raw pain that death leaves behind to those who are left when someone dies. Gennie over at Dizzy Girl got the sad news that her nephew Jeremiah, was killed in Iraq. He gave his life for the service of his country and he did so with impeccable honor. This man, this soldier was a father of 5 (including a newborn last month) and a husband to his high school sweetheart, Cassandra. Did I know him? No. Does it matter? No. I sit with tears streaming down my face so saddened by the loss of this man I never knew. Sad for Gennie. Sad for his wife and children.
Now, why would I do this? Why would I write about 2 men that died that I never even knew. Men I never even heard about before today? Why would I take hours from my night to read every comment, trackback, entry and article written about these two men when I so obviously didn’t know them?
Why wouldn’t I?
Two different men. Two different lives. More people touched than I could ever begin to imagine. Don’t these men deserve a few minutes of my time to offer up a prayer, send positive thoughts to their families and friends, do what little I can to honor these lives that so evidently touched so many people.
Each one of our lives is like a pebble being tossed into a lake. The ripple goes far beyond that first circle, far beyond what you can even imagine. Our lives touch so many people everyday in ways we don’t even realize. So again, I ask, why wouldn’t I cry for these men and take the time to stand with the ones left behind. The ones who loved them most.
Why wouldn’t you?
(click to enlarge)
Rick “Waistdog” Bedford
Lance Cpl. Jeremiah E. Savage
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