Veteran’s Day is always a difficult day for me.  First off, it’s a day that reminds me just how much of a wuss I am.  The mere thought of a bloody nose puts me over the edge and yet men half my age are, right now, sleeping in some desert base waiting for the chance to fight off terrorists and others who want to kill me.  It’ s a hard thought to swallow but man am I thankful there are people who’re willing to do that!

Veteran’s Day is also, of course, the reminder that I lost my good friend, Tim, in Iraq.  Good friend isn’t really the word to use.  Good friends are like the guys you play poker with or complain about your job with.  They’re the people you enjoy spending time with.  Then there are friends that are “like brothers.”  It’s a common saying when someone is close to you and you know them really well.  It seems everyone has a “like a brother” or “like a sister” friend.  I say all that to say that there’s another level that few get to truly experience but I believe I have.  That’s the level where you actually become brothers.  That’s where Tim, Matt Clement and I reached.  As I watch my two boys develop their brotherly bond I just smile.  Every time I watch them wrestle, fight or play, I smile.  When I caught this picture of them exploring a stream I just laughed and thought about the times I spent exploring with Matt and Tim.  The one thing I think is evident is, once a brother always a brother.  I’m glad for that.