Posted on 10/19/2005 10:23:24 PM PDT by Brad’s Gramma
82nd Training Wing Public Affairs
10/19/2005 - SHEPPARD AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFPN) -- Heather Wagner watched intently as the dramatic scene played out on her television screen.
A Soldier was deploying. And there by the departure gate, his wife and children hugged and kissed their goodbyes as tears cascaded down their faces.
As Heather's gaze drifted from the television to her husband, Tech. Sgt. James Wagner, she could tell the difficulties of saying goodbye on his upcoming deployment weighed heavily on his heart.
"I don't want you to look at this and think this is what we're going to be doing," she said to her husband of seven years.
Despite her words, she could tell he was still bothered.
When the F-16 Fighting Falcon crew chief finally deployed, she wanted him to know that life will go on even though he would be half a world away for a year. That is why she wrote the song, "Keep Living."
"I wanted to let my husband know that things are going to be all right," she said.
During one of their many phone conversations following his departure, she told him about the song she had written. She sang it to him on the phone, and it helped set his mind at ease regarding how the family was holding up during his absence.
The song was intended to convey the thoughts so many families faced during long deployments or remote tours. Mrs. Wagner said she wanted the song to give her husband peace of mind, to allow him to focus on his mission without wondering if his family was OK.
"I consider this my way of serving," she said.
"Keep Living" didn't stop with the Wagners. Mrs. Wagner said a friend of hers was having a hard time coping with the departure of her spouse. The two talked for a while, and Mrs. Wagner told her about the song she wrote. The mezzo-soprano then sang the words of getting by while a servicemember was gone, and she too, felt encouraged by the simple, but powerful words.
Through word of mouth, news about the song reached other spouses, and requests came in for copies of the 27-year-old's home recording of the song.
"People I didn't know were knocking on my door," she said.
To let others hear her song, she cut a compact disc, due out in a few weeks.
(Courtesy of Air Education and Training Command News Service)
Tes Ma'am. :)
http://www.heatherwagner.com/photos.html
Go get some Kleenex and look at Heather's pictures on her site. One especially will tug at your heart...
Heather, hubby and little guy BUMP!!!
Het Girl, ya done good. I've emailed the link to about 40 military wives.
Thanks for posting this Gramma! My best friend's husband is leaving later today and I was happy to be able to send her a link to this story and the song. (o:
BTTT
Wonderful post. What a lovely song .God bless Heather and her family.
Lauranne
bttt
" Go get some Kleenex and look at Heather's pictures on her site. One especially will tug at your heart..."
Oh you are sooooo right...
AND I think he could join the HUBBA HUBBA gang!
(the dad of course)
Thanks for the ping!
YOU done good.
M0sby! Tsk tsk tsk!
I'll see what can be done about that. :)
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