Dear Darlings,

Some of you may have seen my Instagram and Facebook posts, where I start with “Because some days…” and conclude with a thought, a picture, or a story about something in my life that I found important or interesting at that moment. And it’s my hope that these little snippets of my life give you a moment to smile. Because some days you just need something positive to glimpse, even for a second.

Most of you who have been with me for a while know that one of my passions in life is my time at the USO serving our service members as they travel through our airport. We see many new recruits heading off to basic training and boot camp, depending on which branch of service they have joined. As they head out the door to board their planes, I say things like…

“Good luck!”

“You got this!”

“Try not to laugh when your drill sergeants are yelling at you. They frown upon that!”

Or, “In case no one has told you today, I’m really proud of you. You’re going to do important things!”

This past Tuesday, I had the honor of sitting with a young Marine who had just graduated from AIT (advanced individual training) and was off to his first duty station. He was soft-spoken and had a calmness about him that we don’t often see in younger Marines. They are usually a boisterous crowd with an inflated air that you envision Marines need to have, not quite braggadocios, but full of bravado and a certain amount of swagger. This young Marine was confident, but not overly so. And filled me in on his plan. I sat listening and asking questions when the opportunity presented itself, and then I felt called to say something I usually reserve for the new recruits. “In case no one has told you today, I’m really proud of you. You are really planning all the big things.” He paused as my words sank in, and then his face lit up and his cheeks crinkled into a huge grin. He didn’t just say, “Thank you!” He went on to share his story with me.

And this is what he said.

“Thank you. I’m really trying hard to leave the life that was threatening to drag me down. I want to make something of myself. I want to escape the people who were leading me down a bad path. I love what I’m doing now and the people who are around me.”

My eyes welled with tears as he spoke, and I was humbled that he felt safe to share part of his past with me. I listened when I heard the calling to tell him I was proud of him, and I listened with my heart as he spoke. Because some days you just need to open your heart and embrace something positive.

xo,

me