I’ll Be Home For Christmas

This past weekend, I got my haircut at my local hair shop.

Lately, each time I go in someone new cuts my hair. It’s no big deal for me since I’ve been keeping it very short and it’s hard to screw up.

Alexandra–I believe that was her name–cut my hair this time. We made the usual small-talk. She asked me if I was ready for the holidays and I said I was.

“What about you?” I asked.

“Oh, I’m not celebrating the holidays this year,” she replied, much to my surprise.

“You’re not?” I was wondering where this was going.

“No, my husband won’t be around so I’m not celebrating.”

She proceeded to tell me that she was due to deliver their first baby in March. Her husband had been gone now, for over a month. He had missed Thanksgiving and now he was going to miss Christmas. Besides that, he was going to miss the birth of their child.

You see, her husband is in the Army. He’s in the infantry. He just got shipped over to Afghanistan.

“How long has your husband been in the Army?” I asked.

“About two years. But he re-upped earlier this year and two weeks later we found out that I was pregnant. We were living in Louisiana at the time and so I told him I’m going home to have the baby.” (Home being here in the OC.)

“Wow. Re-signed huh?”

“Yeah, he served for about a year-and-a-half but he didn’t want to get discharged and feel like he hadn’t served.”

I started to tear up. This guy–for all intents and purposes–did serve his country for about a year-and-a-half. But since he remained in the States during that term, he didn’t feel like he served his country because he hadn’t seen any action. Remember, this guy is in the Infantry! He’s on the front lines.

I told Alexandra that I just don’t understand courage like that. Truly. I don’t understand what kind of bravery it takes to voluntarily put yourself into harm’s way like our men and women in uniform do every day.

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” –John 15:13.

I will be home for Christmas this year. But Alexandra’s husband won’t be, and so will many, many others. Instead, they will be on the other side of the world fighting for their country and their very lives. They are true, American heroes.

When we all sit down for our Christmas dinner, may each of us say a prayer for all our military and their families that are home without them. May they all return home safely. May Almighty God watch over each one of them.

May He Increase!