We Are All Under One Sky

My dad recently heard from Brendan in Afghanistan. We were all really happy to hear he was doing well and, Bryn shared the latest happenings for his team including moving bases, building shit and other crap that I don't care much to hear about. I just want to know he is safe. And he is. Sometimes. The below story is what he just relayed to Dad about something that happened one night:

Brendan had been asleep for about 45 minutes when a call came in that a drone (aka "eye in the sky") saw some fuckers digging a hole out in the wild. Spoiler alert: they were not making a garden. Brendan, his team and some Army fellas head out to stop these crazy Taliban shenanigans. The infantry ends up engaging the gardners in a gun fight (because gardners always have guns, right?). 1 fucker gets to go see Allah early, 1 is on his way and 1 runs like the bitch that he is. The guys request assistance from the eye in the sky to help locate Man #3, and I believe the conversation went something like this:

On the ground: Where is he? Can you locate him?

Eye in the Sky: He is down on the ground behind a wall in the northeast area of your location. Subject is down and dead. Go recover.

Ground: Affirmative (enter walled in area…….GUNSHOTS)

Ground: SUBJECT IS NOT DEAD! YOU SAID HE WAS DEAD! SUBJECT IS SHOOTING!

Eye in the Sky: Our bad. He was laying down. Repeat: our bad.

(10 minutes pass)

Eye in the Sky: Subject is deceased now. Go recover. Subject is deceased.

Ground: FUCK YOU! You said he was dead last time and that fucker opened fire on us!

Eye in the Sky: Subject IS REALLY DEAD. We promise this time.

Ground: How can you tell?

Eye in the Sky: A dog is eating him.

Ground: SUH-NAP! OK then!

I also sent Brendan an email detailing a sweet moment with Sawyer one morning. We leave our house early so the moon is usually big & beautiful in the sky.

Sawyer: Oh Mama, look at that big Afghanistan moon!

Me: Well that's called a full moon, buddy. Why do you call it an Afghanistan moon?

Sawyer: Because Uncle Brendan sees the same moon in Afghanistan. I hope that big Afghanistan moon tells him I miss him so much!

Is there anything more innocent & amazing than that, for the love of God?! I wiped tears out of my eyes and reached back and hugged my sweet little boy with the good heart. I, of course, sent the conversation to Brendan ending it with "we miss you each & every day."

Here is Brendan's response: "Dear Sawyer, If the moon is out where you are, it is not out where I am. Could you pick up a fucking science book in between bouts of eating like a bottomless pit & falling down the stairs? Holy shit, I thought I'd come home & you would be smarter. Should I stay another 6 months?"

This was Sawyer's face after I told him that Uncle Brendan had emailed me and said to tell him thank you for Sawyer's nice moon comment and Uncle Brendan missed him so, so much!

Sawyer's response: Uncle Brendan is on THE MOON WITH THE MAILMAN?

Fuck.