Last Sunday was, without a doubt, the hottest day of this summer. It was also mush more than that. It was the 10 year anniversary of September 11. It just so happens that the Puyallup Fair was also going during this time. The fair had contacted the Air Force base and the Army post and asked for 2 people who's accomplishments outshine all others. Matt was selected as one of these people. We were expected to attend the fair and that evening the city, a local church, and the fair would present him with an award in honor of remembering 9/11. So on the hottest day of the year we venture to the fair with all three kids in tow, ready to brave the crowds. What a day! Vincent begged to ride a roller coaster the entire time, so eventually we gave in to his persistence and paid the $20 for ride tickets. We waited in the line and eventually the boys were buckled in ready to ride. After one lap, both boys, with tears down their checks, were screaming to stop the ride. I guess their not real thrill seekers. Ben's only request was to ride "the messed up horsey" aka camel. While standing in line Matt spots a stand selling roasted corn. I turn and no Matt, he's already chomping on the ear of corn, which leaves Ben, the messed up horse, and I. We ride 2 laps on the camel, which was all I wanted to muster, and then get off ready for the next event. We walked sampling all of the food, corn dogs, donuts, elephant ears, lemonade, and fried Twinkies (Matt still thinks the Twinkies were money well spent).
At 4 o'clock Matt leaves to get in his full dress uniform and get ready for the concert. The kids are tired and through with the magic of the fair. We head to the stage and wait. The event was somber, all in remembrance, with veterans, children, parents, all people effected by the tragedy. Maci was tired of sitting and threw everything she could onto the floor. Ben was seated to a veteran in a wheelchair. Each time the man would nod off Ben would release the brake on his chair, laughing and giggling the entire time. Vince was tired of being my little helper and could only worry about having a train tattoo airbrushed on his arm (tough I know). So the routine went, find something for Maci to play with, reassure Vince that he'll leave with a stellar tattoo, reach down picking up Maci's entertainment whiles she screams about it, and sit up just in time to catch the wheelchair as it wakes the veteran. "I must've nodded off." He says each time his head bobs from being stopped and rolled back into place. I finally had to take the boys away to play behind the bleachers, and left Maci , with Nikki a fellow K-9 wife, who knows first hand the struggle of balancing military wife, with busy mom. After what felt like hours Matt received his award and the crowd cheered for him. The boys were ecstatic. They yelled, "that's our Daddy, everybody loves him!" A gentleman in his late 80's or so leaned into them, and said, "You right everyone does love your Daddy, he's one of a few." and then touched my shoulder to make sure he had my attention and said , "Enjoy this struggle, and remember the whole country is taking notes. You and your husband are the next greatest generation."
If you've read the book, The Greatest Generation, or have the pleasure of knowing the people from that place and struggle in time, you will feel what has touched me. It was an honor to placed in such a category. Matt and I have the honor of knowing, loving, and growing up with our relatives from The Greatest Generation, and pray we can do half the job they did. So from this day forward I have a new view of the hard days, and can't wait to look back on them with pride.
“For every thing you have missed, you have gained something else; and for every thing you gain, you lose something” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
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