Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Happy 30th Birthday, Byron



Today would have been my brother Byron's 30th birthday. But, instead we are getting closer to the 5 year anniversary of his death in Iraq. Byron used to LOVE his birthday - really, to the point of being obnoxious. It started when he was little and he would start his birthday countdown, at least 2 months before the actual date. I can just hear the annoying little song he would sing, "37 more days until my birthday!!!" I hold my own countdown now. We didn't get to celebrate his last few birthdays with him, because he was always deployed. In 2002, he was deployed on a Navy ship for 6 months, and David and I wanted to send him a package for his birthday. We picked the most ridiculous card we could find - it was a Justin Timberlake card that said, "It's Your Birthday, Girl!" I know he loved opening that card in front of his fellow Marines!


Now for his birthday, our family meets for dinner at a restaurant that Byron loved, Baby Acalpuco's, and we've been lucky enough to be able to sit at the same table we once shared with him. After dinner, we spend a few quiet moments lighting a candle and sharing a piece of cake with him at the cemetery. It's so incredibly hard to continue to get older, leaving Byron behind at a young 25. Happy Birthday, little brother - I love you.


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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.