Inspiration 2

Three Pieces of Brass

His mom had seen him go off to bootcamp,
and today he came back home.
She sat quietly across from him now,
As the honor guard stood proud and strong.

   No more letters or cards would come,
All of that had come to pass.
All she would have to hold onto now,
was a flag and three pieces of brass.
   Over the grassy knoll she heard,
"Taps" sounding its mourningful cry
And a tear rolled down her aging face
As a rifle pointed up to the sky.

   Piercing the sky came shot one,
then two, then the last of three.
Then silence came over this sacred ground
while the flag was folded tenderly.

   The three spent shells of shiny brass
were buried inside the fold
And presented slowly to his mom
forever to have and to hold

   Receiving and holding it to heart
She stood and walked across the grass

I Did Not Die
Written by: Melinda Sue Pacho

Do not stand on my grave and weep
I am not there I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow
I am the diamond glints in the snow
I am the sunlight on ripened grain
I am a gentle Autumns rain
When you awaken in the morning hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
I am the birds in circled flight
I am the soft stars that shine at night
So do not stand on my grave and cry
I am not there.... I did not die

And while touching his coffin softly
She kissed the flag with three pieces of brass.

Author Unknown

Submitted in honor of PFC Justin Haase, one of the many that gave the ultimate gift for our freedom.
love, one PROUD mom, Renee Thurlow

My Vision

I decided to get onto the treadmill after a HUGE holiday break in my diet, and I was just listening to music as I ran. It was not long before I started to get that 'inspired feeling. I KNOW this feeling well with me. It comes when I'm about to make a leap of faith.

I saw a beautiful vision of all the loved ones who have gone from us and their pictures were in beautiful frames. We carried them into a chapel one by one in a line and as music played we each held a candle in our hands. As we came to the front of the chapel, we each lit our candles off the one that was in the front. We carried the pictures to the altar and stood before many people who watched our faith, our dignity and our integrity and our pride in our kids who lived wonderfully great lives as we watched them play out to the end...

But... the best part was that the end is the beginning for them and they smiled at us with all their hearts glowing in the beautiful candle light. There was not a dry eye in the place. We each spoke of how our kids added to our lives and to the lives of others around them. There was such a peace and love all around. You could hear a pin drop during the prayer and the love of God was all around each person.

The main thing is that many people were informed and in that information their lives were changed because their ideas were changed through our expression of the truth.

Our kids' lives meant something to us, but not only us... Our kids' llives meant something to all who were around them. We have NO idea how much they impressed others. They still do... and still desire their "voices" to echo through the love we have for them and our voices who speak for them.

Such a beautiful sight... Lives touched from lives who laid themselves down for others.