Come with me to a place I loved to go in my early days as an adult. It offered the beauty of the great Atlantic and the wonderful blue skies, painted with the Masters touch. At night the beauty would leave me breathless and in awe of the magnificent force that seemed always to speak to me.

Just drive down A1A with me, it’s called the First Coast, just before St. Augustine you will find it now, filled with man’s modern work, while I, back then shared it only with my thoughts and God. I once found a beached whale there and somehow I felt connected to this wonderful huge mammal, I offered up a prayer for it and shed my tears of its loss to a world that seemed to no longer care.

At night a bonfire could be seen for miles and always seemed to light the skyline a bit more with shimmers of life as the sparks leap into the air. I enjoyed this place either day or night, my connection was here to be alone and feel the power and strength God would grant me to carry on.

I need to be here, the quiet waves lurching upon the beach with its spew of foam, taking back with it the life forces to the sea and then renewing the life and sands of the beach. Dusk has now set so I will light my fire and wait for my coffee to brew, grab a cup and sit with me, feel the power and mighty force of the Universe at hand.

I am feeling the awesome power of God right now and the loss of a wonderful man, someone said to me “what a terrible waste of life.” Well you see my friend lost his life fighting for you and me, to keep us free and a future for our children and those children in the land of Iraq. He felt a duty and an honor to go there and now I was given the greatest privilege to be a part of his service to say goodbye and farewell to a man who gave all he had. Many around the world were able to view this service and share Mitch’s life.

Now I come back to those cruel words spoken and they inflame my heart with anger, for you see my son and others son’s are there fighting for just that person to be able to say that. A fight my son and many others fill is worth the ultimate gift to you and me.

Oh God, I know you are there guiding the forces and letting man make his choices, for that I thank you. I thank you for the beauty that fills my vision now of peace and serenity. I know that you received Mitch into your hands in less than a blink of an eye. I know he gave many a legacy to honor and live by.
While I sit close by now on this beach of life, finding renewed strength and warmth, I ask you to take the anger from my heart and the anger of many who are against us. Protect those in harms way, give them all that they need to carry freedom onward and give us the peace in our hearts to accept that which is so hard to do at times.

Now as in then, I will spread my blanket and curl by the fire. Gazing into the great Universe I will rest and find my soul renewed and if I look hard enough I will see Mitch tipping a star for me.

Sleep well my friends and gather your thoughts while the dark of night will come with a cloak and take all that is sorrowful away. I want to thank you for coming with me on this journey, have a safe return and hopefully you have shared this night with me and the great Master who gave it all to us.

Here follows a short exchange from one other and myself.

Cousin Justin, will you join us? I remember you at your grandparents' anniversary, about to leave for Iraq, looking so strong and confident, people all around you. I hung back; you seemed like a star of the gathering, and I thought I could get to know you better after you came back. Well, that was not to be, so can you in spirit join us while we seek the peace and soak up the infinity? This is Tobiejo, a friend and a builder of campfires. She'd like to tell you about Mitch. We'd both like to hear about you. Yes, you were a star, but it was not cheap glamor; you put yourself on the line and only God knows how much hurt your last earthly moments saved. Maybe some guy named Leo can join us. (by Dan Ellsworth)

As the campfire was built, then came the kindred spirits dressed in their finest tales and remembrances, long into the night, the flame they will burn, till tomorrow our brethren ,till tomorrow when the days have ended and our spirits rejoined, let your days be kindled by warm memories that lie deep within each who have shared this fire.