Fatigue

Yesterday I posted about courage. One of the quotes I used was, "Courage, above all things, is the first quality of a warrior." After chatting with TB this afternoon, another quote came to mind; "The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue." ~ Napoleon Bonaparte

At this time the quote does not apply to TB, but rather to his men back at the home base. I can tell he is concerned about them and anxious to get back. They are being pushed hard and TB is concerned that fatigue may become an issue. He's very familiar with this from his experience in Iraq. It's interesting to me, because I am getting a few guilt vibes from him. He is at the larger base with more amenities and much less to do while he waits. He's bored. Ever anxious to be on the move, involved with his men, and doing what he does best - leading from the front.

While he is torn between these two places, I am torn between enjoying better contact and greater safety and wanting him to be happy doing what he loves. It was tempting to say to him, “What? Are you crazy? You want to go back there? Enjoy the time where you are.” But that would have been the wrong thing to say. So, I bit my tongue, or rather, sat on my hands, and empathized with his situation.