Operation Birthday Party is underway. The Command Post is operational, I've got the platoon leaders at the ready with their orders and the heavy artillery is poised and ready for deployment. 1st and 2nd platoon will deploy from base camp covert, with light and noise discipline to establish a perimeter. 3rd platoon will come in behind and charge in providing suppressing fire and securing the objective in an attempt to outflank the enemy party crashers.

It's clear that I have lost my right mind...either that or I've seen Band of Brothers one too many times. Maybe both. Regardless...the birthday party is a go.

You know - I won't go into my years of birthday party issues with you here...it's just not the right place and I may launch into another Airborne flashback. But at a certain point, it's time to let go of the things that hold us back.

I woke up this morning with a song in my head - a specific lyric of the song kept rolling over in my mind:


It's from a song entitled, "Come Undone" and just because I'm shameless, I'm going to do a shameless plug for my brother, who wrote the song (along with his band, TapWater) - please check them out - they are PHENOMENAL musicians - world twang, baby!

Anyway - this lyric kept rolling around in my head...now I don't know about you, but I have 2 big oak trees in my front yard and despite the freezing temps that seem to hug the days around these parts, they are STILL holding onto their dead leaves!! It's sort of an odd phenomenon.

I started thinking about the oak tree, holding onto its leaves, not wanting to let go of the deadness it holds onto. It reminds me of myself...what am I holding onto that's dead...that's lifeless. Or more than that, what am I holding onto that's sucking the life from me? I used the "birthday party issues" as a tongue in cheek example, but I have more dead leaves to ponder than that.

So how about you - what are your dead leaves? Just a little thought for you and me as I tie off my last goodie bag and head off to sleep.

Love & suppressing fire,
k