Lincoln’s homecoming provides a silver lining

War coverage dominates the daily news and stories of soldiers killed in Iraq is enough to dampen anyone’s spirits here at home. Now Snohomish County has reason to celebrate: the long-awaited return of the USS Abraham Lincoln.

"Sometime in May" is all officials are saying now, but that’s enough to give military families and the rest of the community reason to get excited. Reason to hope.

It’s been nearly nine months since the Lincoln has been parked at Naval Station Everett. Nine months since the men and women aboard the ship have seen their spouses, children and friends. Nine months since those left behind have had their entire family together at the dinner table.

To the crew of the Lincoln: We are anxious for you to come home. Thank you for your service to our country. Your scheduled six-month deployment was long enough. News that you would return to the Persian Gulf in December instead of making your way back to Everett wasn’t entirely unexpected, but very disappointing. Stories in the papers and on national TV showing your nearly 5,800 crew members doing an excellent job gave you some much-deserved recognition and put Everett on the map. You can expect a fantastic homecoming.

The families of those crew members mustn’t be overlooked, either. We owe them thanks for their sacrifice. Trite sayings such as, "It’s part of the job" or "That’s what they signed up for," mean nothing when small children say goodbye to parents on a dock and count the days until their return, only to find out they’re not coming home as expected. Strong military families at home mean our service people can go about their job of protecting us with confidence.

Going about our daily routines with a spring in our step might be a little guilt-inducing, given world events. It shouldn’t be, though. With everything going on, we have to snap up each opportunity to celebrate and be thankful.

Finish your job and return home safely, USS Lincoln. We’ll see you sometime in May.