"There are four of us"

"There are four of us"... Five of the most selfless words uttered by a hero. These five words might have been his last, I don't know. This past week has been a very painful one for many of us, none more so than our Hooter brothers and sisters. As many if not all of you know, our unit lost a helicopter training in Colorado and four heroes were lost. Four fathers, husbands and sons. My pain is deep and touched close to heart so I cannot imagine the pain that is being felt by the wives, children, parents and families left behind. My prayers are with you all.

The memorial was graceful and amazing. The room was filled with thousands of friends, family and total strangers. The hikers that were the first on the scene... the ones that helped our wounded and the ones that heard those words "there are four of us" were there to pay respect, paying their own way to be a part of honoring these heroes.

Utter silence was heard when each family entered the memorial room. In a room with 12deep standing, you could hear a pin drop. With each speaker telling stories and giving tribute to the men, I had to contain myself from standing and clapping after each man spoke. Cheering on the lives that these great men lead. Not knowing any of them personally, hearing the stories, jokes and kind words that were spoken about each hero really made me long to know them. I am sorry that I will never get the opportunity to be a part of the lives of such great men. One thing that I was profoundly taken by was the fact that all four of them were strong Christians. Knowing that they are in Heaven with God, watching over our Nightstalkers brings comfort and I know each family gets comfort knowing their hero is watching over them as well.

All of this has me thinking about what it means to be a part of this family.. my Army and Nightstalker family.. "There are four of us" was spoken by someone mortally injured. He wasn't crying out to save himself or for attention to be brought to him. He was looking out for his brothers. I am sure he was hoping with all his might that they had some how survived the crash. That one if not all would make it. His might and that of a thousand others was not enough to save these heroes but we can be sure that our love for their sacrifice will ensure they will always be remembered and that their families will always be taken care of.

For me, I weep for the widows... I have much sorrow for their pain and loss but what really gets me... the deep down sorrow is seeing the children... many that will never know who their father was by the sound of his voice or with their own memories. They will know because they will hear the stories told about their hero father and will be shown photos to remember but many will never remember the sound of his voice...it really breaks my heart. Then there are those children that get it. They know what it means when the men with the shiny shoes show up at their door at 2am. They know their daddy is a hero they know what a wonderful person he was and how much love he had for them. Those children are in my prayers daily. I pray for the wife but I pray on my knees for the children.. We as military spouses understand the risk with what our husbands do for a living. We know the risk, get it and accept that is a part of life. The children don't sign up for such risk and don't get a vote. They are who I pray most for.

Seeing the faces of the family who just got the more horrific news ever, news that we all think about but never expect to have to hear makes me realize that every second of every day need not be taken for granted. We all need to cherish the moments that challenge us, that push us to the limit, that make us cry with sorrow and laugh with delight. That every second of every day might be the last second you share with your loved ones. Your fiends and family. I want to cling to my children and family... ensure they know just how much they mean to me. How much I love them. I beg of you to do the same.

When days seem too long and the challenges of life get you down remember these four men. Chad, Terry, PJ and Rob. Remember their families that are left with a hole in the middle. The children that won't remember daddy and those that will miss him every second of every day. Remember that your problems really are nothing compared to what others have to deal with.

God bless... Love to you all