Been a While

I know it's been a while, I am sorry. You cannot fathom how stretched thin and busy we have been around here. Its truly amazing what a soldier can accomplish.

We searched a farming area today which we had deemed to be of suspicious nature. We were deliberate in our actions and as we approached the farm house. There were several military aged men on the premises and from surveillance we knew that they had at least one weapon. We were prepared for anything.

As we walk to the house, two of the young men begin speaking to us in broken English. They are very excited to see us and love the opportunity to chat. After several minutes their father, the head of his household comes outside to greet us. He invites us inside his tiny house.

The man has had a tough life as a farmer. He makes best with his farm and lives in a small house with nine children and beds engulfing what little floor space he has. He must work long hours because the water in the canals only comes once a week to feed his wheat. When it comes, it does not last more than a day. The man engages us in conversation, he has long since ignored the pestering of the mosquitos which are attacking us at free will.

I mention this man because he is who I will think of many years from now when I recollect my days in Iraq. The man does not have much, but he has enough. He invites us into his home where we drink sweet chai (Iraq tea) and eat cakes which his son has prepared. We ask if we can bring some of our cakes to our soldiers who are waiting outside, his son has already taken care of them. He cannot stop smiling. He speaks of coalition forces as if we are a part of his family. His village is now safe. He does not have to worry about secratarian violence. Life for the moment is very good.

We return to our vehicles standing a little taller than when we left them. For the first time in a while I felt like maybe, just maybe I was doing something good. Like, maybe this is what is Iraq.