Making home where you are

I came across this photo this morning. It's a few years old. Here's the real scoop, and here's a Snopes report correcting some of the misinformation that circulated online about the image.

The photo seems timely and relevant in my life because I've spent the day piddling, putting away Christmas goodies, reorganizing after a home construction project, and trying to decrease clutter so 2008 will begin with my life kinda sorta organized.

Well, we all know and love men and women who -- as a matter of routine -- are conducting missions just like the one depicted in this photo. They may have celebrated Christmas by calling home or getting a hot meal, and maybe they weren't shot at for just one day.

We have many, many Arkansas National Guardsmen and women preparing for deployment in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other hotspots.

While I crave comfort, organization, and some semblance of order, many families are adjusting to having loved ones in harm's way. Many men and women are performing at high levels of professionalism, despite missing the comforts of home.

Thank you to every guard unit, every member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard. And thank you to friends and families here at home.