Last year our family attended their first Gold Star Family Luncheon at the Governors Manor following the Memorial Day Service in the Senate chambers. Full of honor and pride, I attended this emotional event. The impact this had  is still felt in me today. I am sharing with you heart felt words I wrote 1 year ago today…..

My heels clicked loudly on the hard tiled floor. We walked together, as a family, quiet. Just the clicking of my heels echoed down the empty corridor.

The oversize Mahogany door opens. A rush of ‘old’ whiffed up my nostrils as the dead air hung heavy in the room. I sucked my breath in as instantly a lump whaled up inside my throat. “No, not now” I say to myself, as I have successfully pushed back these tears in the past.

My eyes lock- not on the rich atmosphere of these Senate walls, as I should have. But I stare at the face of a Marine on the back of a man’s shirt. A face so young was smiling out of the picture at me. I could not read the words under the picture, his name and the date he died, because the tears forming in my eyes made it difficult to see. As I pulled my eyes from that face to my feet, I saw all of the family wearing the same shirt. Chills ran up my arms, as I walked, head down. I pushed back the memories of Ben’s young face, smiling…..

I sit, unable to open the Memorial booklet, that I can’t even remember putting in my hand. I look down on the Senate floor in awe at the sight. Many men were in full uniform, Military Veterans lined the back wall, and Flags all around. In the center of the room were 12 flags, each representing a fallen Michigan Veteran from the past year. These flag folded properly, over flowing in the basket that was escorted by Military.

My thoughts, heavy, jump to the families around me. There was an older man, a Veteran himself, standing proud in a salute. His hands shaking. His wrinkles were set deep, full of as much history as the walls behind him. I wondered what memories he was struggling with.

Behind him a Woman stood tall, swaying back and forth, mouth set in a frown. Next to her was a younger woman, hair pulled back tight, in full Military uniform. It was hard to read the look in her eyes, was it confusion? fear? anguish? Just then a little curly haired girl, in a bright pink dress, reaches up and grabs her hand tightly. The look of innocence on that child face…..A big huge tear hangs off my eye lashes. It blurs my vision, for that I am grateful.

I remembered when Memorial Day meant a long weekend, a party, the beginning of summer. My thoughts trail off when the sound of Bag Pipes playing in the background brings me right back to reality.

I turn to hug the stranger standing next to me. We looked at each other, tears falling down both our cheeks. An awkward silence hung in the air……We were all now, in a weird way, bonded together…