Las Cruces, NM, at 0800 - Friday
Kaesen and I woke early - again - to see off my brother, his wife, and their son to both work and school. It is hard to believe that Kaesen will be in this regular routine in about a year's time, granted that Kimberly and I agree on placing him in school a year early, to as long as another two years. Whether five or six years old, Kaesen is so close to that life transition of school and it has been an amazing journey so far for him, for me, and for us. Anyway, we said our daily goodbyes and began our new temporary routine of a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal for Kaesen, an energy drink for dad, and a quiet rumbling throughout the house complete with airplane and helicopter sounds, from Kaesen's toys, tricks and treats, and everything wonderful from the imaginations of a 4-year-old boy and his eager-to-share father.
Tomorrow holds the potential for a family trip to White Sands and possibly Alamogordo for a balloon festival and picnic, as well as a trip to either White Sands or Ft. Bliss to see Uncle Blake's "Afghanistan trucks," as Kaesen likes to call all military vehicles. Blake does have a wide array of similar MRAP vehicles available for my son to see up close. Regardless of our plans, I am certain the day will be filled with fun and excitement for my son and Blake's son, Jonny.
This deployment has brought about many life changes for Kimberly, for Kaesen, and for me. Some may be long-lasting while others appear to be short-lived. No matter the final outcome, the love for my son will endure and grow. I have grown quite fond of my FOB Smart comrades and look ahead to more missions and more opportunities for excellence with each of them in our daily routines. Change, from my perspective, are the very defining moments in our lives that shape our character, excise the unnecessary baggage, and implement the needed growth to ensure our futures are bright and full of promise. So many have shared in my life the realization that we are defined not by the events that affect us in life, rather by how we react to such - and I agree.
Charles Swindoll says it the best below.
"Attitude"
The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.
Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company... a church... a home.
The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past... we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.
And so it is with you... we are in charge of our attitudes.
143, Kaesen.
Good night and good day.
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