Memorial Day

Memorial Day 2018, remembering four hometown friends who lost their lives in Vietnam.  Also thinking of those who survived the horrors of war.  Some survivors are navigating life with artificial limbs and other visible wounds.  Some wounds, and scars, are invisible though, and capable of ruining the lives of those who bear them, long after a war is over.  Their combat experiences, and the PTSD they live with, never ends.  Their pain can surface and explode, like an emotional bomb that can affect anyone in its path.  These unexpected blowups are buried in the psyche like land mines.  If you've ever known someone dealing with PTSD,  you know it's a hard thing to describe.  Hard to understand, hard for loved ones to accept. We can only imagine how hard life must be for veterans who survive war.   

Today is the special day to remember, respect, and appreciate those who made the ultimate sacrifice.  Those for whom life on this Earth ended suddenly and too soon.  Today also seems like a good day to pause and remember the war veterans still living among us.  I know, we'll be honoring them in November.  I know. But they're doing their best to cope with the traumas that are with them every day of the year.   

Let's thank them for their service and sacrifices every time we have an opportunity to do that.  No matter the day.  Thank you, veterans.  Thank you, thank you.