Too Close for Comfort... more from Capt. J Bryant

Hey Beck. I am so sorry that I missed your birthday. We had a guy get hit on Monday by a suicide bomber and we have been by his side all week. He is in Germany now and doing well. He is headed to Walter Reed soon and will recover there. I had hernia surgery last week (I would not recommend surgery in Afghanistan to anyone!). I am allergic to percocet as well so I recovered on Motrin. Not so good either. I am doing well though and our Soldier is ok and that is all that matters. How is everything there? Tell the kids that I said hello and that I love them. We have about 70 days to go. It has gone pretty fast so far. I love you and Happy belated Birthday. Jamie

Ok, so I was a little taken aback by the latest email from Afghanistan. I'm sorry, but I thought you were over there doing some paper work and running in the desert (for exercise) and playing volleyball, not actually in the vicinity of a suicide bomber! Maybe my naivety is the only way I can deal. I don't mean to minimize what you are doing there, but seriously, I can hardly think about the real dangers that you are facing.

Jamie and I have always had a sibling understanding - we don't talk on the phone a whole lot, we are there for each other and know that when the time comes we will work together to make sure our parents are taken care of, but as far as being traditionally close is concerned we aren't two that have to talk every week to know that we are bound, as most siblings, by something a lot closer than a phone line or proximity for that matter. But as I learn more about the dangers he is facing I can only hope that we can at the very least plan a family trip together so that we can learn a little more about the adults that we have become. See you soon, Little Bro, Much Love, Beck