day 206: collision

There was a collision tonight, of sorts.

It happened while riding in our car.

Now don't fret.

No one and nothing is hurt.

Or injured in the least.

To try and understand what happened, you have to be aware of three things.

1.) Since they first saw Soul Surfer this summer, my girls have been obsessed with that movie, Bethany Hamilton, surfing, the beach, and sharks.

2.) Kennedy is in the midst of a timeline project for school, one created with major events in her own personal life, meshed together with larger historical events in our world. She's included major world events that she knows nothing about. Cause, for goodness' sake, why should she? At 9, the only important things that happen in this world are in her world. Not the world. However, on that list, which she's been creating purely on her own (with the help of factmonster.com), she's listed the deaths of bin Laden and Hussein.

3.) Apparently, much like their momma, the girls are still tossing around in their heads things their Daddy said to them in their video recording we found in the mail yesterday. Before he read them their story, he said this: Girls, I hope one day, when you're older, you can understand why your Daddy had to leave you for a while. I pray that you will, one day, understand.

Here's the collision part.

We were driving home late, even late for a Friday night, after a night spent with friends (for the girls) and solo time (for mom). The littlest little had already found the back of her eyelids, and the other two were asking me if I really do know the day next week when Daddy will be home. I gave them my best guess.

R: But what did Daddy mean on the video, about us understanding when we're older why he had to leave?

Me: Well, Reagan, do you know what the word "sacrifice" means?

R: Yeah. It means killing an animal.

Me: True, it means that in the Bible. But Daddy's making a sacrifice. He's giving up something he loves right now, spending time with his family, so that he can fight in the war. And that keeps us free so we don't have to have a war here where we live.

R: Has there ever been a war where we live?

Me: Yep. A long time ago, before I was even born. And there was something close to a war when September 11th happened. Do you remember when we've talked about that before?

R: Yes, but I don't like to remember that. It makes me sad.

K: Why did this war start, anyways?

R: Yeah. Whoever came up with that had a dumb idea.

Me: (pausing) Well, there were two very bad men who started it. They had other bad people who helped them, but a lot of it was their fault.

R: Why can't we make them stop?

K: Who were they?

Me: A man named Osama bin Laden started the war in Afghanistan, and a man named Saddam Hussein started the one in Iraq, the other war that Daddy's fought in.

K: Hey, I have both of them on my timeline!

Me: Yes, you do.

R: But why would someone kill them? That's wrong!

K: Can I say that I hate them, Mom?

Me: Probably shouldn't. We're not supposed to hate people.

K: Okay. Then I'm going to say I hate what they did.

Me: That's fine.

R: But why would they get killed? Who did that?

Me: Well, we killed them. I mean, our military did.

R: That's wrong.

Me: I know, Reagan. It's hard to understand, and it's hard for Mommy to explain that to you.

K: Guys, it's just like in Soul Surfer. In the "extras" part on the movie, Bethany tells how she loves animals and never wants to see them get hurt. But when they caught the shark that attacked her, she said she knew it had to be killed so that it couldn't hurt anyone else. She said she didn't like that it had to happen, but it really did have to happen.

Silence brought understanding right then, on three different levels.

A 9-year old was able to connect these dots that I was having trouble with myself.

She was more right than she knew.

Hopefully, one day that 9-year-old, and that 6-year-old, and a sleeping 5-year-old will understand and appreciate those sacrifices their Daddy the Gunny has made. Of why we're fighting this war in the first place. Of why bad people had to be killed....people that would go on hurting other people.

I know that someday will come.

But tonight, as those three precious girls lie sleeping in their beds, I think they do understand, as best they can.