Memorial Day 2010

During the past 14 months, Lori and I have made our peace with Jordan's decision to enlist in the Army. We know it's what he wants to do and how he wants to serve his country. And while his is a path that few of his peers have chosen, we are proud of his commitment and appreciate the maturity and self-confidence that it has engendered.

That same kind of personal transformation was on display for the past two days when my nephew Austin and his young family paid us a visit. Austin is 28 and the only child of my sister Cathy, who lives in a remote Alaskan fishing village of 2,500 residents. He just finished a five-year stint in the Navy and he and his wife, Starr, and their two darling daughters stayed with us overnight after driving up from Fremont, California.

They are headed to Palmer, Alaska, a suburb of Anchorage, where they will settle into the home they bought a year ago, anticipating they'd move back up following his honorable discharge. He was stationed at Port Hueneme, near Santa Barbara, so they've already covered more than 700 miles -- and still have 1,500 more to go, most of it on the scenic Alcan Highway.

I haven't had the opportunity to see Austin very much over the years, but he's always struck me as a guy whose actions speak louder than his words. He is unfailingly polite and respectful in conversation, attentive to his wife and daughters, in great physical shape and modest about his military experiences and travels. During the five years or so he was in the Navy, his duties took him to Japan, Singapore, Iraq, Spain and Ghana.

From all appearances, it seems the military has been good for him. He's used his G.I. benefits to buy the home, a truck and a motorcycle. He speaks with an easy self-confidence and is looking forward to settling into one of three jobs he's applied for up there. After being away from his family for 2 1/2 of the 5 years he's served, he's reconnecting with the girls and preparing with Starr for the addition of a third child: a baby boy, due in late summer.

It was a genuine pleasure to host this young couple and their daughters -- Justice, 7, and Jada, 4 -- even if it was for less than 24 hours. Lori and I took the girls to a neighborhood park to burn off some energy on the playground equipment while their parents rested. Piggyback rides were offered and eagerly accepted. Later, the girls played gently with our animals and "helped" me barbecue burgers and chicken for dinner. And this morning, after we all visited Lori at the gym as she was training a client, I took them on a roundtrip downtown, via the light-rail train, so they could get their taste of the big city.

The visit was way too short but we agreed that seeing Austin gave us a glimpse of how life might unfold for Jordan and Jamie. The two guys have similar personalities and values, and their wives both hail from small towns, bringing with them a commitment to support their sailor or soldier, whatever the case may be, while at the same time setting goals of their own. Starr is halfway to a degree in nursing and Jamie already has a degree and experience as a licensed veterinary technician. It's too way too early to talk about a family but after being around Justice and Jada, I wouldn't mind at all moving into that phase of life. And that's the first time I've ever said or written that.

Photo taken on our rooftop by Simone. Nathan was at a three-day music festival in Washington state.