A Lesson on Respect

Retreat.  It was one of my first lessons of post living when we arrived in Carlisle.  1700 hours, 5pm to us civilians, Retreat sounds.  When this happens, you stop what you are doing and face the flag.  The first part of Retreat plays, Mark says it's like a get ready, here it comes song.  Then the cannon fires.  At this point you place your hand over your heart as the rest of the song plays, or come to attention and present a hand salute if you are in uniform.  If you are in a car, you pull over, turn the car off and get out of your car.  During Retreat the flag is lowered.  Respect.  Pure and simple.

So...we are on the soccer field.  Soccer starts at 4:30, ends at 5:30.  Retreat is in the middle of practice.  Or if there is a game, in the middle of the game.  When Retreat sounds, each kid freezes in place.  If for some reason some don't hear Retreat, their friends snap them up pretty quickly!  Peer pressure at it's finest!  Do you know how cool it is to see all these kiddos in the middle of practice, or game, freeze in place to respect our flag?  Amazing!  I took these pics, on the sly, during the first part of Retreat during both kids' games.  Games.  In Julia's game, the boy all the way to the right was on a fast break to the goal.  So close to scoring.  So close.  You know what he did?  He froze.  Warmed my heart!  In one of Hope's games, picture 1st to 3rd graders, Retreat sounded and there were a few daddies in uniform that were standing on the flag side of the field.  So when all the littles turned to face the direction of the flag, they were looking at the backs of these daddies.  After the cannon, the daddies stood at attention and saluted, and there were a handful of little people who did too!  So sweet.

Here are the pics that I took.  I hope I didn't break too many respect rules, but it was too good not to share.  I hope they warm your heart also!

Hope's Game (Hope is the blue shirt all the way to the right with the bright yellow socks on)

Julia's Game.  (I think Julia was in the goal, as I don't see her in this pic)