power off

For the first time in six years I stayed home for Memorial Day weekend. And I didn't work! As first I wasn't sure how I'd feel not being in Lake Placid, where several of our athletes went to train for the weekend...... and after about 5 minutes of that...... I was so glad we moved camp to June.

There are so many cool stages of parenthood, and I swear as Luc gets older it gets more and more fun. The challenges change, but the conversations and experiences you get to have just get richer.

A year ago Luc sat and watched the Memorial Day Parade. One of the Sub Scouts gave him a flyer and told him to join the Scouts, and he could be in this very parade. So he did. He joined. He earned a whole bunch of belt loops and patches, he made new friends (so did we!) and one year later....... here he is (in the red hat holding the banner, and wearing his brand new glasses!)

After the parade we made the short drive to Letchworth State Park, a gem around these parts and somewhere I have never ever been! There is serious shame in that! It's one of the most beautiful places around. We spent all day hiking and laughing and Cocoa swam her little dog butt off!

On the way there I turned off my iPhone, which meant email, texts, phone calls. I turned it all off and turned my attention to the day and the experiences before me. I know that we all get so caught up in the smallness of this world, the instant messages we get to one another, that we often forget to stop and smell those flowers and look at the world.

Not today. Today was about family, and remembrance and turning all of it off.

Today I thought a lot about my grandfather. He died the night before the very first Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Clearwater in 2006. I remember standing on the balcony of the hotel and my Mother trying not to tell me, she wanted to wait until after the race. I spent the run so choked up I could barely run.

My Grandfather was a Naval man. He served in the Battle Of Normandy in World War II. He never spoke about that experience, until Christmas 2005. When I enlisted in the Navy he spoke with me for hours about what it was like to be a Sailor. It had been my goal all my life to serve our country. I enlisted in the Navy when I was 20 and the night before I was to ship out, they re reviewed my medical records. They deemed that due to the history of my eating disorder and how sick I became, that I could not enlist.

To say I was completely devastated would be an understatement. It was a lifelong goal and dream of mine to be in the Navy. If they came knocking on my door tomorrow I'd think long and hard about accepting that opportunity.

I grew up with immense respect and admiration for any member of the Unites States Military. I learned as a young girl that every single soldier, no matter what they were a part of (Army, Air Force, Navy, marines), they were to have my highest respect.

They always have and they always will. And I will forever carry with me a big degree of disappointment that I was not able to follow in the footsteps of my Grandfather.

At his funeral my son stood next to the soldiers that were there, and joined them in saluting him. It saddened me terribly that I was the only one of 2 grandchildren (my cousin came as well) who attended to honor him. My Grandfather deserved more than that. Much much more. This man saw things he emotionally could not even bear to repeat. The least I could do to honor his life, was stand and listen to the Star Spangled Banner, at his grave. A man of great great honor, being laid to rest, his casket draped with the American Flag.

He got the full Military Salute and I was given his Naval Uniform. It is because of him, and many others like him, that we have what we have today. I will never ever forget that. It was my honor to know him, to hug and kiss every time I saw him, and to have had the opportunity to say to him..... thank you Granddad, for what you did for this world.

I keep 2 pictures of him. One on my desk. One on the visor in my car. To me, he represents so many things that in today's world we have lost. Respect for one another, Love for family. And time. Granddad always had the time for me. He was at every big event in my life. I was so absolutely honored to be one of the fortunate ones to be able to carry his casket to his final resting place.

He reminds me that what is important in life is not the text messages or emails that we naturally look for and send ourselves. What is important is the experiences we have with one another.

Thank you to all of you who serve in our United States Military. Thank you Granddad for teaching me to be brave.