Every Friday, I wear red.
For many people, Red Friday is a simple gesture of support for our deployed military. For me, it is something much deeper. It is a reminder. A memory. A promise.
Years ago, my fiancé deployed to Iraq. He was part of the mission searching for SCUD missiles. Like so many brave men and women who answer the call of duty, he willingly put himself in harm’s way to protect others and serve his country.
He never came home the way we prayed he would.
Instead of running into my arms, he came home draped in the American flag, carried in a coffin.
That is why Red Friday hits a little differently for me.
Every Friday, I think about the dreams we never got to share, the life we never got to build, and the future that was taken from us far too soon. There will always be a place in my heart that belongs to him.
But while he did not return to his earthly home, I find comfort knowing he reached his eternal home. Heaven became his final destination, where pain, war, and sacrifice no longer exist.
Because of him, I understand the true meaning behind the words “Remember Everyone Deployed.” I know firsthand that every deployed service member is someone’s child, spouse, fiancé, parent, sibling, or best friend. Behind every uniform is a family waiting, hoping, praying, and counting the days until they come home.
So every Friday, I wear red not only for the deployed but also for those who made the ultimate sacrifice. I wear red for the families carrying invisible wounds. I wear red for the empty chairs at dinner tables and the memories that never fade.
Most of all, I pray.
I pray daily for the safe return of every man and woman serving far from home. I pray that they return safely to the arms of those who love them. I pray that more families receive homecomings instead of heartbreak.
And until they all come home, I will continue to wear red.
For the deployed.
For the fallen.
For my fiancé.
For every hero who answered the call.
Until they all come home.
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