My Inspiration

I have been so busy this last week. I have basically twice the workload now. I have only been to the gym twice this week. My poor bike has been hanging up in my room untouched. When I did go to the gym, I only had time for cardio. I felt really guilty when I dropped my clothes at the laundry today and I had a weeks worth but only two sets of PTs instead of the usual 5 or 6. I haven’t given up hope, though. My wife just walked a 5K on Saturday with my son, Reilly. She would have run it, but he is too young for a jogging stroller and she didn't have anybody who could watch Reilly. He needs to be 6 months. She has been working out like a champ in addition to studying and taking care of my boy. She is truly my inspiration. If she can do it, I can pull myself up from my bootstraps and still hit the gym. I can't wait till we are back together and we can work out together. I have been on craigslist looking for jogging strollers and bicycle trailers for Reilly.

I did something really cool today. The Iraqi unit that I am working with delivered much needed school supplies to an all girls primary school today in our area. It was very nice. The little girls all were all formed up and they sang songs and then the National Police Commander I work with handed out backpacks with school supplies in them to orphans and low income students. It was a great mission. My team helped them plan the mission and we resourced it, but then they executed it. I would much rather do these missions then the search missions we do all the time. My Iraqi unit looked really good today and they had the Iraqi TV reporters there. That is what my team is there for; to help the Iraqi security forces become capable units.

It made me miss Lexi and Maddi today. It didn't help that there was this little girl that looked just like Maddi kept coming up and flirting with me this morning. She came up to me, waved, and said "Hello, mister" I had my sunglasses on and my full kit, so I probably looked really intimidating. I replied back to her "Sabah al hahr, habeebtee" Arabic for “good morning, sweetheart”, and then she ran off. She would keep looking back at me and would smile and wave. With all the crappy missions we have been doing lately, today really made up for it. I wrote previously about my experience here being a year in empathy. Well today, if I could have adopted all these girls I would have.