Saturday, November 8, 2008

Teaching Kids About True Heroes

On Friday I was invited by some old friends to attend the Veterans Day Program at their elementary school. Madison (5th grade) and Hayden (2nd grade) spent quite a bit of time with Byron before he died. Their mom, Melissa, has done a wonderful job of helping them remember Byron as their own personal American Hero. During the assembly, Madison sang patriotic songs on stage with the Honor Choir, and Hayden sat with his class and had made a little paper flag to wave to all the Veterans. I was privileged to be able to sit with the Veterans and honor Byron. It had been some time since I had seen the kids (as a matter of fact, the last memory I have of Madison is at Byron's funeral - seeing her that day was the greatest comfort to me), but it didn't feel like any time had passed as the kids gave me hugs and talked to me. Hayden was so cute and sweet - he had printed three large 8x10 photos of Byron and was showing them all around to his friends and teachers saying, "This is Byron!" I gave them a Flag book (the children's book, "The Flag We Love," that our family has been presenting to families and elementary schools in honor of Byron) and also presented one to the principal for their library. It was a wonderful experience for me and I'm so grateful to Madison and Hayden for inviting me! I had a great time afterwards with Melissa, catching up on life. I can't wait to see them again.


Here are a few pictures from the morning:


The 5th Grade Honor Choir


Madison is the little girl in the center with the short blonde hair.



Hayden and Madison reading the book, "The Flag We Love," given to them in Byron's honor.



The pictures of Byron that Hayden took to school with him, along with the flag that he made.

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Freedom Journey


In December of 2006, just 2 years after Byron died in Iraq, we decided to take a "Freedom Journey." We spent 3weeks on a road trip through the eastern US - from Austin east to Savannah, then all the way north to New England, and back a little inland to Texas. We traveled over 6000 miles in an effort to see our beautiful country and understand what Byron sacrificed his life for. We drove scenic routes, through small towns and big cities, stopping at places that held history in shaping our nation. We stopped at Veteran's Memorials, National Cemeteries, historical monuments and some of the most beautiful places in America. In each place, we left a "Freedom Rock," a smooth stone that had Byron's name and KIA date on one side, and said "Freedom Isn't Free" on the other. It was our way of taking Byron with us and leaving a bit of him in each special place. This experience was so healing for us, and truly one of the most memorable and special events of our entire lives. Here are our favorite pictures from the Freedom Journey.