Veterans day
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Veterans day is upon us again. This Monday we'll hear it all day 'thank you for your service'. The snarky among us might reply 'Then buy me a beer', the quiet among us may wave it off, but most of us will smile and nod at those saccharine words. Those words are the minimum we can get, and sometimes more than we want. Those short brief syllables, almost devoid of real meaning and value, plastered all over everywhere. Look, you're welcome for the thanks, but while we may no longer be in, we're all still fighting our own battles.
Some of us saw combat. And each night when we close our eyes, we can still hear it, smell it, and feel it as if we were still there. There are things we carry with us, and combat is very much one of them. I personally am fortunate enough to have not witnessed that, but I still saw death random, violent, and far too bloody on a peaceful Sunday on that Oklahoma road. Today, instead of just saying 'thanks for your service' ask if you can help, but don't be pushy about it. Some of us are still fighting against our own minds and hearts. Each day we lose a brother or a sister to their own hand. And most of us, well we don't show when we're struggling. We don't talk, and we keep silent because that is what makes us 'strong'.
Today is a day for you to reach out and ask that veteran friend or family member "Is there anything I can do." And there probably won't be, but just those words can mean a lot. You never know though, one caring voice in a cold world can mean the difference between a good day and bad, between life and death. It isn't the darkness of combat or the world that has swallowed us, often it's our own minds and souls. We punish ourselves and we hold it in. 'Not now' we say, 'not here, not with them' and of course 'they won't understand' and maybe that's true at that time. But it won't always be true. never keep your silence lest it become eternal.
The last thing we need is a pat on the back and well wishes. You want to acknowledge us? Then actually do so, by doing something that matters to the Veteran in your life. Cook us a meal, take us out, help us move, whatever we're doing, lend a hand, or invite us somewhere. I assure you, all of us would rather have one good friend over a thousand pats on the back from strangers. Even if everything is going well for you, just take the time to say hello.
We served our country, some of us came back whole, some came back missing pieces of their bodies, others their minds. But we all came back changed. You can take off that uniform, but it never leaves us. Till the day we die we'll have served. Today My bothers and sisters, serve each other as you need it. Speak up, if you need to be heard. Whatever you've got going on, share it with someone.
We're still human, not idols, and I assure you, we all feel, and always will. So carry on Soldier/Sailor/Airman/Marine. Know that if no one else cares, I do because I am you.
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