Happy birthday

Happy birthday Dean!

Does this count?

Last year at kenosha days of discovery Al and I came upon a difficult interaction. I had always intended to post it, and in fact thought I did, buy looking over my posts it is nowhere to be found. Here goes the backstory for todays epihiny. As Al and I were walking along we were called to by an older woman, sitting on a picnic bench. We of course went over and started to talk to her. You could see a look of heavyness, and worry about her, but other than that no distinguishing features except for her eyes. Her eyes spoke of hours of worry, and sorrow, but most of all love. She, fully aware that we were just actors playing a part, needed a favor of the “captain” who stood before her. We, sensing the importance of this moment agreed to listen to her request. The conversation went something like this, “Good Captain, I need a favor” “aye, name it my lady and we shall see what can be done” …yanking of heart strings in 4,3,2,1… “would you take your ship…”, tears began welling up in the corner of her eyes, “and go find my sons ship and bring him home” she went on to explain that he is in the navy and is over in the Iraq area and that she wants him home safe. Here before us was a mother missing her son, really, every mother who has ever had her child go off to war. A mother with no real way of having any influence over her sons situation, and so she turned to us, the fantasy characters who could do what she could not, characters who were not bound by the physical nature of the world. I looked to Al for help, after a slight delay I promised her I would do my best and after a bit of hand kissing we left her company. That moment was the single most difficult interaction I have ever had. I promised her something I knew full well I would never be able to even come close to fulfilling.

Now I never got her sons name, or if I did I was to shocked to remember it. Last night something hit me, thanks to Bounding Main, I very well could have ran into the very man on one of the bases in Germany. Afterall there were a number of navy men and women that had been over in Iraq… Even if I never know for sure, and how would I, it still sends shivers down my spine to think that I may well have fulfilled the very spirit of that promise, “tell my son I love him.”

Life is amazing isn’t it?

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