Smile of the week
by digby
I admit to having a sentimental streak and this one got to me:
As it happens, I witnessed one of these moments over the holidays half a block from my house. I saw a young soldier, dressed in fatigues sort of lurking around the bushes of my neighbors house, which naturally drew my attention. A car drove into the driveway and a couple of fellows got out at which point the soldier jumped out of the bushes and startled them. At that point they all started jumping around and laughing and hugging one another — obviously a very joyous reunion. I don’t know the story, but the sheer happiness among the group was such that I think it’s probably fair to assume that he’d been gone some time, probably deployed overseas. There’s something very unique about the combination of joy and relief in welcoming home someone who’s been in a war zone.
These are scenes that have been taking place for millenia. It would be nice if, someday, we didn’t have them anymore.