FOB Smart at 1700 - Sunday
Easter is being celebrated by hundreds of millions, billions perhaps, across the globe right now. For most of you reading this, back home in the United States, the sun is just beginning its track across your world and brightening your day. For us here in Afghanistan, being 12 hours ahead of the west coast, we are reaching the end of daylight and our Sunday evening has already begun. Easter, for me, is a family holiday and I am missing my own family right now. My little boy will be waking soon and searching for Easter eggs, chocolates, and other fun treats. For many of you, too, this day first represents the resurrection of Christ. I wish to extend to everyone a warm and heartfelt "Happy Easter." May your day be joy-filled and spent in happiness.
In Qalat, certainly outside of these walls protecting FOB Smart, this day was a day like any other. A struggle, perhaps for many, to survive another day. A day of long waiting for grain distribution, a day of laborious activity in dusty farm fields, and for many still another day similar to yesterday and tomorrow. Here on the FOB, in our dining facility (DFAC), we celebrated Easter with a feast fit for kings. Our services provider, DynCorp, makes each major U.S. holiday especially warm and they seem to outshine themselves with each passing holiday shared here. I posted photographs earlier taken inside our DFAC from lunchtime today. Festive decorations barely describe the creativity on display therein by DynCorp. Magical and familiar - there, this is better in describing what we feel inside the DFAC thanks to their hard efforts. I would like to say "thank you" to all of our DynCorp personnel here at FOB Smart for making an otherwise lonely holiday pass with a little more cheerfulness and celebratory spirit.
I reflect back on the many holidays, although they seem too few right now, I have been literally blessed to spend with my son, Kaesen. I recall the magic lighting up within his eyes, the curiosity filling his thoughts and his growing exuberance, and I am so very thankful today for him. It causes some small tinge of regret within my heart to know he is enduring my deployment without me - but at the same time I know this will only bring the two of us closer - if you can believe such is possible. I say this because most of you already know how close I am with my son. This will be the last holiday Kaesen must endure, or I must endure, without being with his daddy. My hope for him today is that he wakes with that wonderfully familiar happy spirit and excitement as his Easter Sunday unfolds.
The daylight of today is quickly fading just past the horizon with the setting sun. I look ahead to my remaining 13 days in Afghanistan and am hopeful for a life ahead lived in complete and total happiness. "If it is to be, it is up to me." Powerful words spoken and empowering when embraced.
143, Kaesen.
Good night and good day.
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