I read an article not too long ago about the affects of the war in Iraq on friends and family. The writer detailed the pain of missing phone calls and weeks of non-communication, which takes the biggest toll on those here in America waiting for their loved ones to return.

One of things that stuck out most to me was the notion of connectivity—by this I mean having a physical connection to the brave souls of the armed forces. The writer made a distinction between people who personally know someone abroad, versus people who don’t. Those who feel the ache of war pain are those who have touched, smelled, or hugged someone who is away protecting the United States of America.

I may not agree with war—or truly feel like the government is fully disclosing its intentions—but I do know there are thousands of men and women who dutifully fight for the freedoms and luxuries I have today. And while Memorial Day celebrates those who have served this country, I want to thank a couple people who are serving in Iraq today. These are people who I’ve touched, smelled, and hugged in the last few months…people who make me appreciate my country…people I want back home soon.

I photographed Tracy a couple months ago and I can’t wait for her and Alex to reunite!

Some of you may recognize this handsome fellow from a post a couple weeks ago. Jared is serving in Iraq and I can’t wait for him to be back in Jamie’s arms!

Happy Memorial Day!