Fried Chicken, rice, black-eyed peas, ribs, and watermelon

That's what they had in the chow hall today. Coincidence that it is Martin Luther King Jr. Day? I think not.

Today I broke down. As you well know I've had a string of deaths in my in my family and I've been working extra hard to keep my mind off of it. Plus, when you are around co-workers and Marines 24/7 you don't want to appear "weak". Well tonight the guys I work with didn't go to chow so I walked by myself to the chow hall. I was cool but when I got my plate I started thinking of home. This is a meal that my Mom would cook for us on Sundays and at first I'm thinking to myself this is nowhere as good as my Mom's black-eyed peas and the next thing I know tears are welling up in my eyes. This brief moment alone gave me time to think about my family and I started to grieve. I was too choked up to eat anymore I got up from the table as quickly as I could so no one could see me and started my walk back to the office. With no one around, in the pitch black dark of a cold Iraqi night I cried. I cried for my cousin, I cried for my uncle, I cried for my family,I cried for myself. I miss home.

I want my Mommy.