the little girl

The Little Girl

Last week at the airport while talking with one of "my Marines" a man and his two daughters came up and asked me about a gate pass. His wife was coming home from Iraq and he wanted to see if he could get past security to meet her at the gate. He had a huge bouquet flowers, which his daughter was holding and he had a big assortment of balloons. You could see the excitement in their faces. This is one of my favorite parts of the airport. I get to see families reunite. Anyway, I told him where he needed to go to get the help he needed. I gave him two flags for his daughters. He handed a flag to the one holding the flowers and she took. I have left out one part of this..the other daughter..a little girl with beautiful brown eyes..was severely handicapped and she was in a wheelchair. He took the flag and put it in her hand. He gently wrapped her fingers around the stick holding the flag. It took several times before she could hold onto it. Each time that he tried I think my heart broke just a little bit more. I couldn't help but wonder what this man, who was beaming over the return of his wife, his hero as the balloons read, what had he gone thru? How hard it must be without his wife there to help. Then I thought about the wife..being a mother I know how hard it is to be away from your children. I can't imagine what she has endured. What she has sacrificed to do her "job". He finally got the flag into her fingers and she held tight to it. He said thank you and told him to make sure he told his wife I said welcome home!! And off he went..off to get his hero! When he walked away I had to blink back tears. I looked at my friend Belton and I don't think either of us knew what to say. We just watched him make his way to the airline counter. About an hour later I saw them again...his hero, his wife, their mommy was home. As they waited on the elevator they looked my way and I smiled and waved. They waved back and grinned ear to ear! As they got on the elevator I saw the little girl in the wheelchair...she still had her flag.

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