Yesterday afternoon my cousin returned from Iraq. He had been deployed for a year, barely missing my wedding, with only a few days back at home around Christmas time for the holidays and his younger sister's wedding. As if him being gone wasn't hard enough, it was compounded by the fact that his relatively new bride was still here, attempting to live life and take her classes and remain hopeful of his return. She and I have become good friends in the past year and a half, so much so that I almost forgot the reason I met her was because she married my big-brother-of-a-cousin in December of 2009. So instead of it just being my cousin missing his wife, the reality was now my good friend missing her husband and wishing his return date would just arrive already. Well, by God's grace and provision they reunited yesterday, bringing to a close this period of time of separation. Never again will they have to be thousands of miles apart for reasons outside of their own wishes. They can go to sleep next to one another and wake up in those same arms every night, now.
I suppose it is the romantic side of me coming out, but I can't help but shed some tears of joy over this reunion. I can't explain how happy it makes me, and how ecstatic I am to know my cousin is safely home.
Thank you for serving, Jed. Thank you.
Every parting is a form of death, as every reunion is a type of heaven. - Tryon Edwards
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