A Prayer for Those Who Love Soldiers

This is a prayer for the ones who love soldiers who are in harm’s way—

For the parents, who remember with longing when you could hold that child in diapers, sending out mothers’ or fathers’ intimate care,

For the lovers, who smell the sweaters left behind, touch the pillow on the empty side of the bed, and wish only for one moment’s touch,

For the good friends, who try to store up the jokes, to remember the bits of daily gossip and news, who don’t enjoy them as much alone,

For the spouses and partners (who are also lovers) but who miss today the partnership as the grass grows long, as the kids talk back, or eat their first solid foods,

And most of all for the kids.  For the kids who have a hole in their heart, who don’t quite understand it all, who live in a blur of unknowing and dread, who can’t tell time but know when something has gone on too long, for the kids who can’t remember, for the kids who do.

May your heart’s knowing be deeper than the longing.
May your memories hold you.
May the love of others surround and support you.
May you keep the flame burning, now and ever more.
This is a prayer for those who love soldiers who have returned—

For the mothers and fathers, who wish you could kiss away the booboos,

For the lovers, joyfully reunited, and also struggling with all of the changes,

For the good friends who share jokes and gossip with a friend who wants to be in the present, but keeps getting jolted back to the field,

For the spouses and partners (who are also lovers), grappling to find a way to knit back together a new relationship, trying to be patient and attentive but also weary yourselves,

And most of all for the kids.  For the kids who are happy, laughing, feeling whole again.   For the kids who are confused, who thought happily ever after would arrive on the plane with the parent, and it didn’t.  For the kids who try to make it all better, for the kids who withdraw, for the kids who try to believe that the parent will stay, for the kids who grin in their sleep.

May you find your way with love at the center.
May your memories hold you,
May the love of others surround and support you.
May you keep the flame burning, now and ever more.
This is a  prayer for those who love soldiers who have died, our Fallen Warriors—

For the parents, looking once more through photo albums, every cell remembering,

For the lovers, who smell the sweater stored in the back of the closet, touch the pillow on the empty side of the bed, and steel yourselves to face another day alone,

For the good friends who are saddened by jokes or gossip, knowing how much more they could have savored it together,

For the spouses and partners (who were also lovers), in a suddenly too-big home, seeing the deceased in the kids’ faces and movements, thanking the neighbor for shoveling the walk again,

And most of all for the kids.  For the kids who stare at pictures, trying to conjure the memory of laughter, of singing, of being held.   For the kids who can’t remember anymore, for the kids who do.

May your heart’s knowing be deeper than the river of sadness.
May your memories hold you.
May the love of others surround and support you.
May you keep the flame burning, now and ever more.

This is a prayer for the people who love soldiers.
May your love be your North Star, ever guiding you home.

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