While we sleep, they stay awake.
While we sleep, they guard our freedom, keeping the enemy from our shores.
Before we place our heads to pillows, let us pray for the men and women who make up our troops. Pray for their protection, that they return to their loveds and give thanks that they are willing to give their lives so that we may enjoy ours.
Being a military family has never been easy. But today, our families face demands generations before us never have.
For the past two years, we have been at war. Our servicemen and women have faced back to back deployments. Wives, husbands, parents and children have said more goodbyes, send more carepages and letters than ever before. While we have e-mail, cell-phones and Skype, they still do not take the place of mum or dad being in the same room. Thanks to Cable and 24 News, we see what is going on in the war zones in real time. We search for our loved ones' faces in the sea of army gear and pray that the report of a dead soldier isn't our loved one.
More marriages strain under five and six deployments, more children live in insecurity.
And as more of our soldiers come home, our heroes cannot find jobs to care for their families.
Thankfully, today's military is aware of the struggles the service person and their families face today. Today's Veteran's Center are working hard for those who are struggling to adjust to their present life. While Mark continues to look for a job (it has been two years) he is going for counseling at the VA Center for PTSD. I go with Mark on some of his visits, but mostly this is his time. It was discovered that I too suffered from second hand PTSD, better known as SPTSD. Liken to second hand smoke, simply statement, this means the spouse and even the children can take on the stress of the Veteran. So, we as a couple are being treated for PTSD, learning to handle the unseen wounds.
Oh, it is easy to dismiss PTSD as just depression, just 'snap out of it.'
Easy to say, not to do.
The first step is knowing what is wrong. The next, is finding the resources to help to begin to help the wounds, to begin the adjustments so we can move forward once again.
The VA Center and VA hospitals are both good places to start.
I saw this picture about ten minutes ago, and was moved to write the following:
You raised your son to always strive to do his best.
You raised you daughter to be proud of her nation.
You taught him stand and take of his hat when the Flag passed by.
You taught her how to place her hand over her heart in respect.
He grew up to be the finest of young men.
She grew up to be loveliest of young women.
Their future bright, they could have chosen any other path.
They chose to serve and protect their nation.
Today you lay your little boy to rest.
Today you kiss your baby girl goodbye.
Not just another warrior who laid down their land for the nation,.
This was your son, your daughter.
Your child.
And the thing that hurts more than kissing the top of their coffin, washing the wood with your tears,
is knowing there are men and women who could care less, even rejoice in their deaths.
as your baby's blood was shed for that this land shall remain free.
Sometimes, we forget the good the men and women of our armed service do. Sometimes we forget the Footballs they hand out to children so they can play ball. We forget the candy they give little ones or the schools they help to build. We forget the wells they have overseer dug so that a village may enjoy fresh water. We forget the aid they are now bringing in the form of Clinics.
I remember when Mark was deployed, one of the projects he began was the building of a clinic so that not only were the villagers were treated, but a Vet was brought to take care of the village's animals. We forget the hope they have brought to so many.
What good have we done?
Ask the mother of a little girl that a soldier saved from being hit by a truck. And in doing so, he himself was struck and killed, leaving small children of his own behind.
Ask the man who's goat was treated by an army Vet and is healthy once again, able to provide milk to the family once again.
Every once in a while, I like to go through pictures of Mark's various deployments, so that I don't forget.
