Joe turned and looked to where Aj was huddled there on the cold earth beside him. He watched closely for any sign of comfort or realization, hoping beyond all hope that the young man had experienced his own 'moments', in his own life. The he had his own reasons to live. He watched Aj's facial expressions for any sign of relief as he stared out across the water... but he saw none. He saw only the same lost desperation that had been there minutes before. A thoughtful look in his eyes perhaps, but still a hopelesseness that hadn't been eased.

Joe unfolded his hands and slowly felt for the worn out old wallet he carried around in his coat pocket. Of all the things he'd lost in the world, this was the one thing he'd never be able to live without. He pulled it slowly out and opened it carefully, eyeing the young man who had turned to watch him.

"Pictures," he whispered as he flipped through the photos with a sigh, smiling at the memories that lay stretced out before him, "to remind me of the moments."

He held out the first photo for him to see and Aj scooted a little bit closer to him on the icy ground. The wind rushed over the bridge and howled around them, but for whatever reason, sitting here beside this young man, trying to save his life, he couldn't feel the cold so much anymore. He had a strange warmth throughout his body that felt calming and wonderful. The simple idea that he was helping another human being perhaps... doing something bigger than himself.

The photo was a worn out, sienna colored picture of three men in army fatigues, Joe in the middle. They were standing side-by-side, smiles plastered to their faces looking happy... content. Each holding up a beer in one hand while the other was wrapped around the shoulder of the man beside him. They looked like best friends.

"My army buddies over in Vietnam," he explained handing the photo to Aj for a closer look. "That's Michael there," he pointed to the young blonde standing on his righthand side in the photo, "but we called him 'Gus', and that," he said pointing to the man on his left, is my brother, James."

"You guys look so happy."

It was the first time the young man spoke and it almost suprised Joe to hear his voice, low and chokey... unsure.

"We were..." he responded, his own voice echoing back a similar emotion, "We'd just found out we were going home in two days, and we thought we were going home heroes."

He smiled slightly, the nostalgia of the day returning to him for a moment's time. He'd remembered how happy the three of them had been. Excited to be getting out of that God foresaken land. Excited to be going home to their family and friends as heroes. Because that's what they truly believed. He looked at the young man again, watching as he stared at the photo in his hands he could see the expression on his face becoming thoughtful too.

Joe handed Aj the second photo. It was a black and white portrait of a young man and a beautiful young woman. He was standing behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist, their hands brought together in a warm interlocked embrace, and he was kissing her neck.

"My wife," he said smiling even bigger than he had after showing the last photo, "my beautiful Margaret."

Joe remembered the day they met, his freshman year of high school in the hallway. She'd ignored him when he'd asked if she'd like to go out on a date. He'd had to ask her at least a dozen more times before she'd finally given in. He always said he knew the moment they met that they were meant to be together. She always said it took a few dates. She made him smile when no one else could. She made him laugh. She helped him through so many rough times in life that he owed his very existence to her. He looked to the heavens and silently wondered if she knew that even in her death she could still bring him comfort.

"She was beautiful," Aj said as he handed the photo back and stared back out across the water.

Then Joe pulled out the final photos. It was one of those flip things that opens up and shows about ten different pictures. He flipped it open and handed it to Aj who Joe could tell took it only to satisfy his need to show them.

"My son."

There were ten photos there, beginning with a photo of a tiny baby, wrapped in his hospital blanket and cradled in the man's arms, and ending with a photo of a handsome young man in military fatigues. He watched as Aj studied the photos closely. A tear rolled down the young man's cheeks and he knew... silently knew that he was somehow getting through. That he was somehow making a difference.

He wouldn't tell Aj how these moments had ended. Wouldn't share how his best friend had been killed the day after that first photo had been taken. A day short of being able to come home from Vietnam. He wouldn't share how when the rest of them finally did come home from the war, they felt like anything but heroes. How he'd realized when they returned to the United States, that their 'war' was a failure and that most people thought they were too. He didn't tell Aj how he'd suffered painful flashbacks and illnesses because of his time spent there and how it had nearly cost him his life and his marriage. No... he wouldn't share any of that.

Nor would he share that his beautiful wife had suffered for 5 long and painful years from breast cancer that ultimately took her life when she was only 35 years old.

And he wouldn't share that his son... the one and only thing he'd had left in the entire world... had joined the military at 18 years of age and had given his life for the same country he himself had defended years before.

He would never forget looking out his window that day as the military vehicle pulled up in front of his home. He knew why they were coming... he knew before they even knocked on the door. That was the moment his world crumbled. The moment his life fell apart.

He'd found himself here, three years ago, standing on this same old bridge, staring out across this same water contimplating ending his own life. He'd wanted to make the jump himself. He'd wanted to end it all right here. But someone had stopped him. An old man talking about his life and his memories... his good times... his 'moments'.

Now it was Joe's turn.

He watched as Aj handed back the photos and wiped the tears from his eyes. He hoped he'd gotten through. He hoped he'd done his job. He hoped that he had helped someone the same way he'd been helped so long ago.

"Think about your moments..." he whispered as he laid his hand on the young man's shoulder, "LIVE for your moments."