Samantha 139/365

My baby brother Jesse is leaving for bootcamp tomorrow. The baby of the
family, fresh out of high school and headed to bootcamp. Both of my brothers
chose the Marines.
I had to work during the big family send off meal so I drove out to see him
this morning before I had to go to work, knowing I wouldn't get another
chance to see him. Let me put my feelings on this into perspective for you:
I am incredibly proud of my brothers. I have always been pretty close with
them and they have always been there to back me up when I really needed it,
even at times when I wasn't speaking with the rest of my family. My other
brother Jefferson,( also younger), just came back from his first deployment
to Afghanistan, and it's clear to everyone around him how much it affected
him. He has a blank glazed over look in his eyes all the time, and my mom
has told me stories from when he was there that would chill you to the bone.
He lost a dear friend who was deployed elsewhere and his troop was pulled
out from their mission early for reasons I can't say. But it's been really
hard for my whole family to see him like this.
Anyone in my family would tell you I'm the cry-baby of the family. I have
always been pretty emotional and when it comes to those closest to me, I
wear my heart on my sleeve. I was SURE I wouldn't cry saying goodbye to
Jesse. Until I saw him. I couldn't look straight at him because all I could
think of was repeating the same cycle all over again, and my eyes just kept
welling up. I waited until I got in the car to leave to cry.
I don't care how you feel about war, violence, the president, etc. Just
remember that someone's little brothers are out there literally risking
their lives to keep us safe.