Some days are Sunny, others are a B*tch

Blogging Circle for 12/7 80 Years ago, we blinked

Day 3316: December 7, 2021
Prompt: The time everything changed in the blink of an eye.

Japan launched its invasion of British Malaya, at Kota Bharu, at 7:15 am Hawaiian Time (1:45 am 8 December Malaya time).
The Japanese surprise attack on Pearl Harbor began at 7:55 a.m. Hawaiian Time. 21 American ships and over 300 aircraft were sunk or damaged and 2,418 Americans were killed. Japan lost 29 planes in return.
Japan declared war on the United States, Great Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

In the blink of an eye, my parents life completely changed that Dec 7th.. Soon my Dad was off to join thousands of other young men to come to the aid of their country. Three years of not knowing how my Dad was as he served in the infantry all over Europe watching his fellow soldiers and civilians die. Letters came so slowly and they were even checked to make sure no intelligence information was sent. I still have some of those letters Dad brought back as well as crinkled photos of Mom and my brother, a toddler then.

When Dad was 65, knew he had stage 4 Lymphoma, he wanted to see the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. He flew between chemotherapy treatments. Unfortunately, once the plane landed Dad became so ill, Mom had to have a physician called. He spent a day in the hospital getting IVs and pain medication. Then they went to see the Arizona Memorial. He looks ill in pictures but stands tall on his own, the epitome of courage. I am so glad he was able to go.

I didn’t realize when 9/11 happened and I watched those planes hit the twin towers, that would change my sons lives also. They joined up, went to Iraq and Afghanistan to fight terrorism. Chris was in the infantry also and his HumVee was hit by a road side bomb.. He is fortunate to have survived. He came home to us, his wife and new baby a different man. Our other son also suffers from a variety of medical conditions from that war. Now terrorism seems to have taken hold on our own shores with white supremacy attacking our Capital. Our children are still being shot in their schools and no gun legislation passed.

In my own life at the age of 30, a terrible auto accident left me with a chronic neurological disorder, dystonia. It eventually took my nursing career away. My kids (5 and 10) weren’t hurt badly and that is a miracle because the brand new car was totalled by a man with 0.25 alcohol level in a pick up truck. He had rear ended us at a red light and the cops had to remove his foot from the gas pedal. To follow up with my comment on guns, this man that changed my life didn't have a driver's license. He had just been released from the Georgia State Pen where he had served 10 years for murdering his wife with a 9mm.

It is amazing how life can change at any moment so I believe in living well in the present. It might be all the time we have since that giant clock of life keeps changing.