War
My friend Sarah lost her husband, Staff Sergent Matt Sitton, in Afghanistan a little over a week ago.
When I first met Sarah, she was 16 and her family had just moved from Arizona. Her father was the new youth pastor at my husband's church, and they needed a place to stay, so they lived with my in-laws for about a year. Their best friend, Linda, who followed them here from AZ, married my best friend from college and is now the mother of my Godson. Her parents, Dave and Sandy, have been a big part of our lives these last several years. I went to Sarah and Matt's wedding just barely over a year ago. They got married in a big field underneath a giant, ancient oak tree strung with fairy lights, and danced all night under a huge white tent lit with lanterns that kept the cold away. Nine months ago, their son Brodey was born. This was Matt's third deployment.
It breaks my heart to see my friend with that look on her face. If there is one thing you can always count on Sarah for, it is that she is usually beaming. She is still so young (22? Maybe almost 23 now), and her entire world has just been turned upside down. I wasn't able to be there for Matt's public procession, but I am proud of my city for turning out to show their support.
There is only so much anyone can do in times like these, but I was asked by a few flisters to post here if I heard of anything set up to help the family. They have set up a fund for Brodey to go towards his college someday, and the information regarding that is at the end of the article linked below. Any help, even a simple signal boost, would be appreciated.
http://on.wtsp.com/PjkmPE