I was at Philadelphia International Airport this afternoon picking up my friend Sarah’s mom. As I was waiting for her outside Terminal E, I noticed a woman and a boy who was about seven years old. The boy was holding a huge sign that read in bright colors and glitter, “WELCOME BACK FROM IRAQ, DADDY.”
After a couple of minutes, here came a soldier in his desert fatigues. When he got through security, he paused. Just stood there. The little boy ran up to him, then the woman. The three of them had a hug that seemed like it lasted for three minutes. There were at least a hundred people waiting for others, and no one made a sound. They just watched. Many were crying tears of joy. And when the hug ended, people began clapping. Really clapping. Hugging each other. We got to see something special.
I took this shaky picture on the sly with my iPhone because I didn’t want to interrupt the moment, but I did want to capture it. I’m against that damn war with every fiber in my body, but not against the soldiers who are real people coming home to real wives and real seven-year-old boys. It was a funny feeling to be that close to someone who just came back. Mystical.
Thank you,sir, for what you’ve done for our country. Thank you for being there. Thank you for coming back alive. And thank you for letting us catch a glimpse of what really matters in life. Just…thank you.
