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Happy Holidays–It’s Ok to Cry…

“Merry Christmas, Festive and creative Kwanzaa, Happy Hanukkah (just past), Pleasant Diwali, Happy Ramadan and Eid Ul Adha, May Buddhist Bodhi Day find You peaceful, Happy Dong Zhi to all Chinese and Happy Yule Ya’all and Happy Yalda to all Zoroastrian. Happy Saturnalia, Happy Boxing Day and Three Kings Day too and may you all find Peace and Happiness in this festive season,” is what a dear friend of mine wrote to me last night and I figured I’d pass it along since it is that time of year.

A time of year where the photo industry hopes to rack up on sales just like all the retail outlets too. And in this “commercialization” of the holiday spirits, we often forget what it’s all about—celebrating the joy of life itself.

When I wake-up every morning I thank my God I actually woke up then I do a self-examination to make sure it all works—who else can I thank? Well not the alarm clock, besides, my kids are more reliable than the alarm clock, they always wake me up way too early, especially after a long, hard night working on post-production.

Here lately I’ve been hammering away trying to meet my latest book deadline, ok, I won’t lie to you, it was extended a bit cause of the holidays and I was running late, but I’m almost done and that often means long-nights into the early morning.

Then there are times where you throw the towel and just say I’m too tired and I’m going to be lazy tonight—especially after a homemade margarita.

There are also days, sans margaritas, where you just don’t have the motivation—writing and illustrating a book is not like writing a 30-page college research paper, it’s worse and takes tons of self-discipline.Even though the U.S. Army taught me tons of self-discipline and my old boss, Gen. George A. Joulwan always defined discipline to his troops as, “Doing what you’re supposed to be doing when no one is watching,” sometimes after you get older and leave the military, especially when life’s pressures get harder, you just say screw-it.

Often when I reach that stage, I flash back to my Army days and say, “wait a minute” and I wake up out of my nonsense and think about our Armed Forces out there battle focused in Iraq and other hostile environments—they don’t have the luxury to say “screw-it,” much less a margarita, they rely on their tough discipline and training to keep them alive.

During the festive times of the year it’s even more difficult for our military veterans and even those that do it right on top of relying on their core values and METL (mission essential task list), just don’t make it–as their God says, “It’s time to come home.”

So while you sit in your warm home, opening presents with family and friends, stop and say a prayer, to your God, for our service members all over the world and their friends and families too, as many of them will never see another holiday season again and many of their friends and families will always cherish the song by Tim McGraw (click video play button above), If You’re Reading This. If you haven’t heard it, break out the tissue, as often when I hear this song my eyes water and sometimes the tears fall as I think of fallen and injured comrades, some, close friends of mine.

And in those thoughts I also thank my God I survived almost nine-years in the U.S. Army with missions in the Gulf War, Haiti, Rwanda, the Latin American Drug War and many other deployments.

If you’re reading this, especially if you’re a Veteran, I know you thank your God everyday too.

Life is short, enjoy the holidays in whatever fashion you choose, that’s called freedom and please don’t forget those that fight and fought to give you that choice. My fellow Veterans, I salute you! God Bless and come home safe, rg sends! (Former Army Staff Sergeant, E-6 for your Air Force types)