This is the image I blogged about this morning.

It was taken by Brian D. Sanderford. It is Corporal Robert Wallace and his daughter Kelcey just before he left for a fort in AR and then on to Iraq in order to train military police.

This breaks me.

I wanted to post this morning but as I write, I guess I'm not sure what exactly about. It's not guilt. I'm not posting to fulfill my personal quota of posting.

No, I saw a picture today that really kinda shook me in my core. I wish I had this pic. It was forwarded to me in an email billed as NBC's photos of '05. Regardless of if these were actually phots of the year, one shot grabbed me. This one was of a child, maybe 2 or 3, being held by her father who is, by his uniform, in the military. His dog tags are wrapped up in both of her hands I believe and her face is crumpled in sheer sadness. Sorry I haven't posted the pic, I'm technologically challenged.

In my opinion, the photo leads you to believe that he is leaving, again maybe, and that she fully knows and understands. The pain that I see on her face is hard to understand. It's hard for me to believe that this child, this infant, fully grasps the depth of the situation. I wonder if my daughter has that capacity. I know she must. This is not a stab at how mature the feelings of a 2 year old are. To be honest, a 2 year old most likely destroys me in a battle of "genuine unguarded heat feelings". In my mind, the core of that photo is love. It's pure. It's basic, not in a demeaning way but in a natural state way. Somehow, something in her just feels it and it pours from her uncontrollably.

There's really not a point. I haven't written with agenda. this is not to make you laugh, to make you sad, or to make you think Jake is so sensitive. It's not a spiritual post comparing this father and child to our relationship with God.

It's just one of those things. There are so many other useless feelings during the day like stress, frustration, worry, apathy(if you can feel apathetic), and boredom. It's just when something like this draws love and compassion from you, it just feels right.

Jake