higher ground in this journey - a journey that none of us would wish upon anyone, a journey that is our new norm, a journey that brought us together to share our experiences at the Marines' Memorial Club and Hotel. 

And although our "journey gauges" will all be different day to day for the rest of our lives, there is one thing I'm sure we would all agree on: Since we had no choice about being placed on this specific journey, thank God for Major General Mike Myatt and the Marines' Memorial Association, other sponsors, too numerous to name, and the Blue Star Mom East Bay Chapter 101 that had the courage to organize this event and hold our hands.  Yes, they, too, are testaments of love and courage, because while they stand on the sidelines of our journey doing all they can, they know that they could easily be "inside the wire" with us.  But yet, they march on, holding our hands, crying with and helping us to: "remember the love, celebrate the life, and share the journey."