As I sit here on

my front porch, I think about how lucky I am. I have a good husband, three wonderful children and seven marvelous grandchildren. Pop managed his finances well, so that we could retire without having to worry about anything. The sounds of the birds during the day are not over shadowed with the blast of sirens, or bombs. The night sounds of jar flies and crickets are not smothered with sounds of night raids, or angry mobs. My cabinets are full, I don't have to worry where our next meal will come from. With all the medication that pop takes we don't have to worry about whether we are going to eat or buy his medicine. There are lots of folks right here in the United States that have to make the choice between medicine and food. My daughter-in-law will leave soon for Iraq. The sounds she will hear and the things she will see, will change her life forever. The sounds of war sleep in your mind forever! There are still nights when pop and I are sitting on the porch that he remembers those sounds. When it's really dark and it's raining, the smell of the jungle still seeps back. I hope you will all pray for our soldiers, and be thankful that the sounds of war are not taking place in your backyard.