10/4/2005
Spoils of Life
American Soldier says,
We all experience moments in our lives that bring us great happiness or absolute misery. It’s what makes us who we are. Each experience making its groove in a person. We often strive to better ourselves, to fix what might be broken or to just carry on with a new experience. Life throws many curves and sometimes you don’t even see it coming.
The days can fly by for some or linger like sludge for others. We all race or sit at the same pace as everyone else. The great mystery is solved when people realize that there really is only twenty-four hours in a day. So why the feeling of life passing you by or going too slow.
I think people get to consumed with the big things and overlook the small stuff gradually. Then before they know it, the things that were small may seem like the most important thing to of lost. What is important to you? I know what is important for me no matter how mundane or lavish. However, this is a mindset not a message or thought.
So the spoils of life are not the great job, the fancy house, etc. It’s the sort of thing that allows you to smile when the big things are so far removed from the forefront of your mind. Take for example a person stuck in the middle of a war zone. He isn’t at his nice house, his great paying job. He is in the middle of hell. It’s the small things at home that make that person get past the hellish days. That’s the crux of life in my opinion. Find your happiness and everything else will fall into place. Get caught up in things that drive you crazy and you will certainly become crazy.
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17 Responses to “Spoils of Life”
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Sometimes with me I dont think happiness will ever happen. I know it will one day but right now is when I need it. How are things with you? Getting back into the swing of things?
later
tosha
My small things…pine trees. Just seeing them, smelling them…calms me down.
My small things ~ my (literally) small kids (and the not-so-small ones, tho the pre-teen is quite trying at times!!!
), of course my nearly-perfect, ever-so-supportive hubby, a job that I love (a blessing in that it’s a lot of fun and I enjoy going to work ~ most days at least, LOL), a cool church that lets me collect cards in the lobby after church for my soldiers about 4x a year, the ability to write to deployed Soldiers (gives me a GREAT amount of joy, just can’t descibe the feeling of joy it gives me… also goes for posting on milblogs of my “adopted by blog” soldiers 
), good books (currently reading both the Iliad and the Odyssey, and just LOVING them both!!!), crafts (cross-stiching, scrapbooking, rubber stamping/making cards for people), my Soldier scrapbook, which contains all the letters & pics I’ve gotten from my adopted soldiers thru the years…. good music, particularly COUNTRY (where else can you hear lyrics about God, patriotism, heartache, love, trucks, huntin’ dawgs & beer ~ all in the same song?!! 
), summer southern nights, listening to the nightly concert of crickets, cicadas, and bullfrogs; all my awesome friends at www.adoptaplatoon.org, www.angelsncamouflage.org and www.operationquietcomfort.com ~ they are some of THE most awesome people on the planet, bar none!)…being involved with all the above organizations, and also www.chemoangels.com and the wonderful people (deployed soldiers, wounded soldiers & cancer patients I’ve had the blessing of serving thru those organizations… )…These are my passions, the things I live for!!!!!!
You are so right AS. I know for myself I didn’t fully appreciate my family til I had to have major surgery. After that, life seemed to fall into place and I can’t say it’s been always perfect (ha..like never is anything perfect) but I do know my family gives great joy to me. I do think it’s hard to not worry about the material things but I’ll second what Kat said about writing to soldiers. I’ve met either on paper, online or even in person some of the neatest people that never would have touched my life. Gives one perspective.
Yeh the most precious things in life are our loved ones and people around us who love us.
Sometimes we tend to take them for granted until something major happens and then we stop and think, we need to tell them and show them that we love them everyday!!
I can tell you my sons are my #1 priority in my life. I enjoy being their mom more then anything else in my life. If I have a bad day at work I have the faces of my beautiful children to look forward to. My Children keep me busy, but for them, it is worth it.
Beautiful.
My other family members, are a blessing as well. We may not talk EVERYDAY, but I know they are there if I need them and they know the same about me. We have eachothers backs at all times. I am blessed with a big family and enjoy every minute of it.
I also enjoy this quiet time before work when it is just me and the singing birds.
I suggest going here:
From one military family to another…Thank you and God Bless!
Well said, AS. Happiness is in the little things–at home too!
Dear As and all readers,
Thanks to you for confirming my feelings; “Don’t sweat the small stuff, but never take it for granted”. My husband is playing in the great sandbox now and has been there for 9 1/2 months now. We have 3 kids; 16, 10 and 7 years old. It’s taking care of them that gets me through our separation. It’s an hour on Sunday that we all see Sgt G on the video cam that is everything we work for all week. It a bunch of very cute 7 year olds in ill fitting shorts playing soccer on Saturday morning. It’s buying a new dress for Homecoming dance for out daughter. Its math homework and reading out loud and kisses from the dogs when we all get home. It’s itchy boys after their hair is cut. I love my life! I love being a Military Wife! I wait with pride and love for all to come home. AS, Thank you for being here. I picked you up one day and I’ve read you every day since you came home. You hit my feelings so on the head so often. You are very much like my husband. Thank you. Mrs AS is wonderful and lucky. I am lucky too. I am married to a SOLDIER!
AS, I think you are right on the spot.
Lil things as a cofee cup when you need it are good and makes you feel better. Maybe thinking that the world is not so bad after all.
That´s also why i give value to these lilttle things you need to make your day a better day.
I hope to end learning something from you soldier guys…which is to live one day at a time.
Take care
American Soldier doesn’t like a Soldier’s Thoughts. What is this, a civil war?…
Albatroz,
I did like the link but it made the right side of the site go crazy. So when long links do that they generally get removed. Sort of technical not personal.
HOpe all is doing well. I guess sometimes it is the little things that we take for granted and that makes us the happiest.
Have a good weekend!
That was a nice thought to read… I am here, doing the sand shuffle, feeling almost exactly as you have stated. The little things that i thought were little are not so little after all. Looking at my daughters newly lost tooth and seeing her new smile, listening to my son’s first complete sentence asking me to get him some kool-aid or touching the hand of my beautiful wife as she looks at me the way only she can. I took my wife and my children for granted and being here makes me realize how valuable their love is for me. I love them dearly and wish and pray that one day, God will unite us again.
Thank you Soldier
Have you stopped to thank a veteran today?
For the price of freedom they had to pay?
Did you gaze into those distant eyes?
Did you see the ghosts he can’t deny?
Did you think a soldier’s heart was made of steel?
Because he was trained to kill, he couldn’t feel?
Did you see the guilt written on his face,
For the loss of life he can’t replace?
Did you know he mourns the lives he couldn’t save,
And walks with comrades in their grave?
Did you remember the boy with innocence lost?
Do you really know war’s ultimate cost?
Have you felt the blast of artillery fire?
Do you have the courage it would require?
Have you stood in trenches consumed with fear?
Felt the enemies breath so very near?
Have you walked with God on a battleground?
Seen your brothers dead or dying all around?
Have you stopped to thank a vet today,
Or did you just turn and walk away?
From the pain he’ll carry for the rest of his life,
Did you consider his family, his children, his wife?
That watch him suffer in silence each and every day,
As he’s haunted by memories that don’t go away?
Did you care that the soldier is still pulling guard?
That his heart, mind, and soul will forever be scarred?
Do you know how he suffers from ptsd?
Or that our precious freedom is never free?
Do you care that he still hears the blood curdling screams?
Or that he returns to the war each night in his dreams?
Have you felt the sorrow of a combat vet?
Or would you rather just forget?
That war has pierced his hardened heart,
And torn this soldier all apart?
Would you rather our heroes just fade away?
Or will you stop to thank a vet today?
By Chris Woolnough
http://groups.msn.com/AftermathofwarcopingwithPTSDtoo/signourguestbook.msnw
Beautiful poem, Chris! I knew it the minute I saw it… I’ve been to that website before!
In fact, some of the stuff on PTSD, I printed and mailed to the momma of one of my former adopted soldiers, who’s had a real hard time of things since he got back last year.
I guess I shouldn’t say “former” ~ I never did “unadopt” him, LOL, & still write to him.
Anyway, thanks for posting that poem.
And to all soldiers and veterans everywhere….THANK YOU.