Remember...

© Kathleen Rietz
As you celebrate Independence Day 2009, please remember our soldiers and their families who miss them.

Illustration Friday - "Forgotten"

©Kathleen Rietz
I finally got around to adding color to this sketch I had made during the 21 Day Challenge (scroll down the main page to see my sketch). Many people forget about our soldiers serving in the Middle East and all over the rest of the world. But for little kids who have to endure another summer without their parent, they have not forgotten. This little girl is watching summer fireworks outside her bedroom window and missing her dad. The baseball under her bed symbolizes a time when he was home to play ball with her. Her little kitty keeps her company for times when she needs someone to listen. And the photo on her wall was taken on the day her father was preparing to deploy. She remembers her father telling her to be brave and that he would be home soon. She manages a smile in the photo. But now it has been 18 months.

Remembering to Remember

©Kathleen Rietz
We all look forward to summer. But as I do, I realize that another season will come and go for many whose loved one is away at war, uncertain if they will return home safely. Many veterans return home with massive burns or multiple amputations and emotional scars, and life for them and their families is never the same. Many receive little government aid and help for their injuries. I heard a report tonite that the suicide rate amongst Iraq War veterans has gone up again. It makes me sad. It all seems so senseless to me. But regardless of your opinion of the war, the men and women who return home from the war deserve our respect and recognition for doing their job. I thought about them and their families all Memorial Weekend, and even still. I was moved to sketch this illustration tonite, so that those who forget will be reminded that there are moms and dads, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters away at war. For those who are missing them, they are dealing with their own battles. Please remember to remember.
This illustration is for Roz whose hubby is serving in the military.