New Address

I have a new e-mail address. Please send me a note so I can capture your address! Gitablackburn@gmail.com

Address change

I have had to change Matt's address twice since the first posting. If anyone is going to send him a letter, double check the address. Also put a 3 on the back flap. It indicates the platoon number. Thanks for supporting Matt!

Matt's address, at last!

Pvt Mendoza, Matt
B Co. 787th Mp Bn, 3rd PLT
2230 Iowa Ave. Blg 937
Ft Leonardwood, Mo 65473

Life, Loss and the pursuit of.........

Jennifer's latest blog entry is compelling me to write. I feel the sadness in her words. I don't think I have ever felt sadness in her words before. It breaks my heart to think of how much loss Jennifer has had in the past few years and is still (apparently) driving her way. Even still, she tries to find optimism. But this blog is not about Jennifer specifically. Although I know I could stop now and let it be dedicated to her sorrows. But I won't. I am pondering the age old question of what in the world are we supposed to do in this life. You ask ten people and you will get ten different answers. Life seems to be this competition between the glorious and the horrific. One day you are surrounded by your family, gloriously celebrating your birth and the next day you are suppressed by the demons of the horrific. What are we to do then? Focus on one over the other? Try as we might, focus on one over the other? Here in lies the conflict within. The outward uncontrollable actions vs. the inward controllable reactions. Somewhere along the way we are taught to do the right thing. And this is my answer to that age old question. Do the right thing. I don't believe this to be obvious at all. In fact many times I believe that right thing to do is uniquely cloaked to look like the wrong thing to do. Example: Do nothing. Does everyone know how hard it is to do nothing? It is a deceiving phrase to imply that nothing is been done. However the very act of not doing anything can required the greatest strength. It is sometimes the right thing to do. And patience. Patience is another great deception. The term gives visions of quietly idling away time as something is passively allowed to run it's course. On the contrary! Personally I have learned that patience is something that I would equate to running a marathon. Being patient while your child is falling headfirst into a very tough and long life lesson requires the strength that would be needed to stop the running of the bulls in Spain. But sometimes it is the right thing to do. Life. Apparently before we were ever born we entered into this marriage contract with life and we, as talking breathing humans, had nothing to say about it. For better or worse. In sickness and in health. For richer or poorer. And then we are born. So now, all this pontification has me exhausted and all I want to do is have a glass of wine and watch Reba on T.V. Maybe it's the right thing to do! All my love to you Jennifer.