In honor of our veterans and those who love them
(Source: Huffington Post, November 12, 2012)
Imagine a protracted separation from someone you love. Now think about that person, on duty in a war zone. A target for a determined enemy. You might not hear from him or her for days, or even weeks, at a time. The longer you go with no word, the deeper your worry becomes. Still, you must get up for work or school, care for your family, try to sleep at night. When communication finally comes, it is guarded. Composed. You know your soldier is unscathed, at least on the surface. But you can only guess what he has seen, what she has experienced.
Sometimes, a prolonged silence means the unthinkable. The doorbell rings and two uniforms deliver the news you prayed never to hear. The one you love will return in a flag-draped coffin, or forever bound to a wheelchair. Much more often, your soldier comes home safe and mostly sound. Physically intact, but profoundly changed. The transformation isn't always apparent immediately. It might take a while to notice the depression, the anger, the obsessive need to lock doors against distant enemies or swerve around non-existent IEDs on the Interstate.
Full story: Huffington Post
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
