May - Military Appreciation Month

Throughout the month of May, we recognize and celebrate the dedication and service to our country
 and freedoms by Americans who serve presently, our veterans and those who gave their lives in our nation's military.  

 Not sure if today many understand how important our military is, and what services they provide in support of America.  They don't just go and fight off shore protecting the freedoms of others, and often ours. COVID19 while it is still ongoing, without the support of the military and their efforts to provide engineering and medical and research services throughout our country, not sure what the outcome would have been.  Just learning about the research labs in Maryland and their ongoing commitment to find the vaccine.

 For many years before returning home to Charleston, working with military families and their children, and often older youth, consumed my life with many others who joined us on the road providing writing, photography and storytelling experiences. Weekends were spent at military installations, at youth symposiums, and often at family support group meetings.  Deployment was a serious event in their lives, and it an honor for all of us to be apart of that transition, and to help each deal with the pending separation, by writing out their feelings, often fears.

 Journaling, drawing out special pictures that expressed a fear and then taking many photographs of each other - all were apart of our weekend.  One of the writing instructors would began with the simple request to have each write a "thank-you letter" to someone in their life. 

 After action reports were always required by our team.  And, often it would take a few days to rest, take a deep breath,  from the emotional connection that we made with the kids. An example, if a youth had a hard time to find the words, we could always find one of our teachers, sitting next to the youth on the floor, or under a table, pad and pen in hand.

 When the "10" year war came to a close, the family support programming that we worked in ended.  However, one never forgets the sharing of the stories, and the impact it visibly made on the family, and especially the children. 

 At one location, the Department of Defense asked to film our team at work. I remember one of the contractors asking me "hey what's so important about what you are doing with the kids?"  Our friends on Facebook today have many of these young people, now some in and out of college, glowing and with great futures ahead, as leaders and contributors to making America a better place!

If I have a personal prayer is that those in our country who do not understand the value of our nation's military and their contribution, please sit quietly and give thought to what we would have done during this COVID19 crisis WITHOUT them.  God Bless!









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