Salute

While I was in grad school I had the fortune of meeting some really amazing people that had done some really amazing things in their lives. One in particular was a classmate of mine who was a graduate of West Point and a two-tour veteran of the war in Iraq. After serving his country faithfully for 5 years, he was looking forward to attending business school and starting the next phase of his life as a civilian. Then, the unimaginable happened. After enjoying a wonderful first year in school he got a letter from the US government: his services were needed, and he would be forced to drop everything and return for a 3rd tour in Iraq. We all were devestated.

After much shock, sadness and anger, he accepted his fate and returned to boot camp unaware of what his future might hold. I prayed for his safety, but honestly I wondered if I would ever see him again. Then, the unimaginable happened AGAIN. During a routine physical exam before his deployment, a number of tumors were found. Thankfully they all were benign. Thankfully the surgery to remove them would be routine. And thankfully this surgery made his pending re-deployment null and void.

I'm happy to say that my classmate graduated this past year. I'm also happy to say that his lesson of selflessness made every dollar of my tuition worth every penny.

Lesson learned: I'm thankful for the unimaginable.....it reminds me just how big to laugh when someone says, "No you can't."