A Brother's Words; A Sister's Thoughts by Cindy Campbell

"Without the darkness, you would never know the light" -Yogi Tea tab  I AM one of "those" people! I love quotes and bits of written inspiration. The right one always seems to appear at the time I need it most. This one seemed perfect for the moment. Each of us have or will face struggles in life. The challenges will be different, and facing physical and emotional pain can bring you to your knees. Nels has dreamt about and trained for this transcontinental run for four years. Prior to this he has undertaken other endurance events that some would perceive to be crazy. When you are doing hard things (for example, riding a bicycle across the U.S. twice and running from Florida to D.C.), having a why during the darkness can be your guide as you focus on your goal, which at times can be dampened by doubt, hampered by hallucinations and impeded by injuries. Attempting to break a record is no easy task; the percentage of people who have even tried is miniscule....

 Hey Cindy, I was just walking down the street here in Olongapo, Philippines and saw this little cyber-cafe, thought I would drop a line… could you do a favor for me? Please, with kitten paws pushing on your belly! I just came out of the field for a few days and a few nights ago, while lying in a hammock in the pouring rain, while checking the time; it was passing dreadfully slow… I had time to reflect on the past, that's what happens when counting the seconds waiting for life to "end". …I'm doing okay. You take care, and I'll chat with you soon!! Safe, Chris Chris was 25 years old when he emailed me the above request. He was asking me to reach out to someone that was special to him and convey birthday wishes. I kept many of my brothers cards, letters and emails to me with the intent to pass them back to him after his career in the Navy ended. Chris was sentimental, and I thought he might like to revisit his military journey through his messages to me...

Most of the posts I have written in this blog have come to me very easily, guided by my brother's words - our shared memories through his writing to me. This one has been difficult. Why? It's the day. What does it mean? Why is this day "special"? It's one I wish never had to exist! It's not the date. Every day is important to someone. It can be viewed with great happiness and, on the flip side, a day can also be one of great emotional pain. That's how life works, right? The Gold Star Flag  The last Sunday in September is of great significance to some. Before I proceed, let me introduce you to Grace Darling Seibold. Grace was a woman and a mother who chose to be a comfort to others by spending time volunteering at a hospital in D.C. Reading her story made her why clear. There was a day when her mailbox no longer contained letters from her son, yet she continued her visits to the hospital. Maybe her son would be admitted without identification; she would kn...

It's September 10th, and Nels is 3 days into his 'Run Across America'. He is "climbing" Yosemite as I write this! Nels has made reference to this run being "chosen suffering". Although he's been training for a few years now, today he is going to earn his breakfast , lunch and dinner! He has a great support team (Kerrie & Ella) who will ensure his hydration, caloric intake and physical well-being are expertly managed throughout the day. Once he completes his mileage, an R.V. awaits with an amazing massage therapist (Denise), dinner to refuel and a good night's sleep. The routine will begin again tomorrow at 3 a.m. on September 11th. --------------------------------- Emails to me from Chris dated 7/31 & 8/2/00:   "Today, we had a good P.T. (work out). We did a burn-out calisthenic, then a swim/obstacle course. It hurt!! You would jump off this pier, swim about 100 yards, with fins on, climb a rope (using no legs) about 20 ft to the t...

August 22, 2000 - Email from Chris: "I am re-enlisting in November for 3 years, but I have been searching the net for firefighter positions. I someday would like to land a federal job doing something of that magnitude. It just feels so nice being so close to freedom!! I could actually grow long hair again before it falls out!! Not that I do this job for the money, but after this cruise and experiencing "different" and new things, I have realized that I don't want to continue doing this for an extended amount of time. I would like to enjoy life and not put myself in "harms" way so much. I'll be honest with you. I never hesitated at any moment, but the human deep down inside of this shell was scared a few times and understood how life is nothing but a flash!!" --------------- Over the years I've heard many people say "I wish I could've met your brother". My typical response is "you have". There are heroes among us, if we c...

Chris called me before his last deployment in June 2011. I was so happy to hear his voice, and it was a great phone call. We had a lot to catch up on in that conversation. Our next correspondence occurred a few weeks later via email. On July 3rd, I sent Chris a message. Due to being out of the country and the nature of his work, I learned that it could be a while before I received a response. It always made my day when I logged on and saw my brother's email address! I moved the end of 2010 and was sharing about my new place and that I returned to my former home to visit those I left behind and said, " I miss my friends - that's the hardest thing about being so far away ." Chris responded with, " glad you were able to go back for a visit, and yes, leaving friends behind is always the toughest thing about moving... I guess the only way to help adjust is immerse yourself in an exterior pastime... always helps me !". It was what I needed to hear and from the one...

Do you have moments in life that make you ask yourself, are you kidding me? Shortly after my brother was killed, I had one of those moments. Learning that Chris left a wish that 100,000 people would donate to Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) fit the "are you kidding me?" criteria, in a big way! I had never heard of WWP before August 6th, 2011. My google search made my heart fill with pride as I started going through the website. They serve ALL branches of the military and ALL ranks. Race, religion or gender does not matter! If someone served in the military after 9/11, the programs and services offered by WWP are there for them. The organization exists "to help foster the most successful, well-adjusted generation of wounded service members in our nation’s history".  My brother, a little kid from a town in North Carolina, grew up to be a member of one of the most elite military forces, and in spite of that, retained a sense of compassion for others as he considered his ...