I awoke last night at 3:00 a.m., in tears. I dreamt of the impact our war is having on families. My tears were for parents, children and spouses who have lost a loved one. I don’t want to get into a diatribe on our current war. That is being endlessly debated with emotion, passion and sadly little reasoned thought. I want to dwell on the pain that war has brought to our society. Is there anyone who has not been touched by loss? I know too many people who have lost someone close to them. My son’s friend was one of the first to die in Afghanistan. Your children should not have to face the loss of their peers.
The local paper has being doing a series of articles on a local boy who died in the war. I suspect that those heart rending articles are what precipitated the dream or nightmare as it was. It doesn’t matter what you think about the war, the reasons, good or bad that we are in it or how we can get out. What matters is making sure that those who have sacrificed are not forgotten. Making sure that their families and loved ones know that others appreciate those sacrifices is critical. It is imperative as a society that right or wrong we honor those willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We are not honoring war when we care for those who died or came back impaired, we are honoring the people who give themselves for the rest of us.
You all know someone who has suffered loss; take the time to tell them that you care too. It is important; never more so than in this season. Give a little of yourself, it won’t compare to what they have given, but it may help alleviate their pain.
The local paper has being doing a series of articles on a local boy who died in the war. I suspect that those heart rending articles are what precipitated the dream or nightmare as it was. It doesn’t matter what you think about the war, the reasons, good or bad that we are in it or how we can get out. What matters is making sure that those who have sacrificed are not forgotten. Making sure that their families and loved ones know that others appreciate those sacrifices is critical. It is imperative as a society that right or wrong we honor those willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. We are not honoring war when we care for those who died or came back impaired, we are honoring the people who give themselves for the rest of us.
You all know someone who has suffered loss; take the time to tell them that you care too. It is important; never more so than in this season. Give a little of yourself, it won’t compare to what they have given, but it may help alleviate their pain.
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