HAPPY VETERANS DAY

It’s the day set aside to honor those who risk their lives for you to enjoy. The day reminds many that they are overcomers. Some individuals who have earned respect try to shy away from it because of the painful experience they endured privately. You might have been the only one who survived a gruesome deployment, and you blame yourself for not doing more to save your teammates’ lives even though you have done all that you could. Don’t be hard on yourself. That was the case with Flo Groberg who wrote the book 8 Seconds of Courage: A Soldier’s Story from Immigrant to the Medal of Honor. He was the first immigrant in forty years to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor for saving many lives after stopping a suicide bomber in Afghanistan. After watching his interview on PBS, he said he felt unhappy with himself for not doing more to save his fellow soldiers’ lives while receiving the medal from the former president, Barack Obama. He stood shaking inside. It’s easy to tell he’s an unselfish person and that’s why he continues to blame himself for not doing more. That’s the case with many individuals not just with a military background. You’ve given your all daily but continue to blame yourself for not doing more especially when something went wrong. Stop it! If you are the only survivor of a near-death experience, change your perspective. Even though your comrades are not present, they would be happy to know someone, you, made it, share their experiences with their loved ones and the world. Shake out the emotions, dust off your Veterans hat, attend the closest event, or sit on your porch and salute well-wishers. Let the day fulfill its duty.