I've been doing too much traveling in the last couple of years. With two little kids at home, it's not my favorite part of the job. I even whine about it sometimes. Then I met a man who reminded me how lucky I am.
He was not a young soldier, like you might assume. He had some grey around the temples just like me. We chatted for a bit and I learned that he was headed back to Afghanistan, for the third time, to train a new batch of young men and women. It was going to be at least 6 months before he saw his wife and kids again. He wasn't certain, so neither were they. He also wasn't complaining.
I suddenly stopped feeling sorry for myself that I had to endure another week on the road, with my return trip booked and a date-certain for my homecoming.
This space is usually dedicated to promoting my company and mission. This time I wanted to say thanks to the guys and gals like that gentleman I sat next to, back in December, between Jacksonville and Atlanta. I'm home tonight to tuck Diana and Patrick in. He's still in Afghanistan.
I hope he knows how much we appreciate what he is doing for us.
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