Wishing a Safe & Thoughtful Fourth

Dear Caregivers, Veterans, Service members and all your families,

We thank you, our service and veteran families this week for permitting this nation to openly celebrate Independence Day on the 4^th of July.  We truly are the Land of the Free because of the brave.  We are grateful for your service and the sacrifices your families make each day.

We are also conscious that any holiday with explosions may be more difficult for the Caregiver, Veteran, and family.  Former traditions may be out of the question for you.  If you can, forge a new tradition this year.  It’s okay to watch a movie instead of going to the local fireworks.  Perhaps the town parade, watched from the sidelines is a better choice than the crowded park, in the dark with explosions and possible perceived threats.  We are very aware that this week may be a challenging one for you, Caregivers.

And, if your family is just fine and can enjoy the day smoothly, we share your joy at that capability.  No matter which side of the Fourth of July observations you fall on, we again say THANK YOU for the service given, the caregiving provided now, and your combined continued efforts for the future.  We support and applaud YOU, the Caregivers, without whom countless service members and veterans would live lesser lives.

Wishing you a safe and thoughtful Fourth of July!

Linda Kreter & the VeteranCaregiver Team

PS: The Pride of Baltimore Tall Ship with flag unfurled shown above

Gnarly Roots Are the Most Interesting

Greetings,

Do you have a fondness for driftwood like I do?  I’ve been known to drag an interesting piece for miles and then let it dry out for three months if it was sufficiently unique!

Fascinating driftwood is often the tumbled root section of a tree.  I spent time this weekend thinking about roots.  Roots of our families.  Roots of our friendships.  Roots from our past that make us who we are today. 

Our roots begin within our families, and if we’re blessed, any dysfunction is manageable and safe.  Roots continue to grow and spread as we learn and grow older, putting out tender shoots that grow stronger as we discern our path.  Through experience and hard-earned wisdom, we learn how to prune the roots that are unhealthy, and how to nurture the ones we want to be stronger.  But sometimes, even with help, we cannot self-prune or self-nurture our roots and we must learn to live with dysfunction in our lives. 

Have you ever seen the root of a great tree that at one time ran into an obstacle and was forced to change direction to stay alive?  It’s not predictable or “regular”.  That tree, like you, is determined to keep growing.  The root of a tree that has circumvented an obstacle and kept on growing, lifting branches to the sky is often the most remarkable.  For example, consider the roots that grew around an underground pipe, pressed up through the concrete, or burrow out of the side of a mountain.  They kept growing.  I contend that some of the most interesting driftwood pieces are those that have a challenged root system.

Consider yourself in a new light.  Boring, nondescript, ordinary?  Absolutely not!  Think of a stunning piece of driftwood art in the garden, a driftwood piece like you – unwavering, a bit gnarly but tenacious, with some knotholes and scars, and learn to ADMIRE that driftwood all the more for the progress it made along the way.

May God bless the gnarly roots in your life for the visualization of challenges met – and grown beyond!

Linda Kreter and the VeteranCaregiver Team

Nostalgia

Nostalgia as defined by Webster includes a definition stating:  "a wistful or sentimental yearning for return to the past".  We all have memories we cherish and those we'd like to forget, but nostalgia can also be a healing practice.  How often do you take the time to consider the progress, Caregivers?

Was your life truly simpler “before”, or simply different?  Though difficult to view from today’s vantage point, are you proud of the changes you have mastered (or weathered) to sustain yourself and your veteran today?  Helped your family to adapt?  Or, if a veteran, have you grown through the (perhaps unwelcomed but everpresent) challenges placed in your path?  What was life like before you knew the terms PTSD,TBI, and PolyTrauma so intimately?  Have you learned new skills of organization, persistence, digging into research, and feeling accomplishment? 

Someone once said, “As long as you’re learning, the experience will be valuable”.   Have you considered that many years from now, you will have built new memories to base your nostalgia on?  Conversely, maybe you'll feel nothing but freedom from those older memories once you've progressed to a higher functioning level.  And, just maybe, you’re so darn glad to have an Alive Day to celebrate in your home, that you now view that date with nostalgia and gratitude.

As we enter this busy season and end of year, please know the great pride and strong support and care we feel here for your service. Your ENTIRE family serves, and we applaud Caregivers, veterans, service members, parents, spouses, relatives and friends, and especially the children for the obligations they carry daily.  Nearly all of us are nostalgic for the time prior to 9/11 – a time of innocence lost. Though deep reservoirs of trust have been misplaced, please know how honored we are to connect, correspond, and support you.

Blessings,

Linda