Friday, November 9, 2018

Lessons Learned - Veteran's Day, 2018


         


Over the years I have thanked many a veteran for their service and not just on November 11th.  I have never been rebuffed for doing so.  Each and every man and woman has been gracious, and almost everyone has smiled back at me.  As a teacher I endeavored to instill this appreciation of the people who have served our nation through the military in my young students.  And again, every soldier to whom we sent pictures and letters or care packages wrote us back to tell the kids thanks and how much they enjoyed them.


As I started to think that Veteran’s Day this year was coming up soon, I realized that my perspective has changed considerably in the last year.  I began to volunteer at my local Veteran’s Administration (VA) and have learned that while all my past thank-you’s were sincere and well received, I have never really understood the depth of the man or the woman who stood before me.  Never knew the stories and memories they carried in their hearts.


This last year has been an awakening for me.  I knew I wanted to give back in some small way to veterans and more than just a verbal thank you or a handshake.  When I contacted the VA volunteer service in my city, I wasn’t sure in what direction I would go.  Now I know that the direction didn’t matter.  It was the journey and the people I would meet that would become important.


I am just one person, and the time I give at the VA only touches a handful of veterans.  I'll bet I know what you are thinking.  And if it is "how wonderful that she can give something back to these deserving folks," you are not even close.  It is I who should be the most grateful.  Getting to know these men and women as people has expanded my understanding of who they really are behind the faces, behind the laughter, and behind the tears.  I am in awe of each and every one of them.



For those who saw combat, the stories and memories they carry can be a heavy load.  Just because they have completed their tours of duty and taken off their uniforms doesn’t mean they get to pack away those horrors in an old duffel bag.  They carry that burden every day for the rest of their lives.  And even in their sleep the nightmares come to haunt them.  I have come to understand that their service to the rest of us doesn’t stop when they come home. 


I am a wiser person now.  For whatever I give of my time and effort, I receive so much in my own personal growth. The next time I thank a veteran for his or her service, I will know that they did not just show their bravery and dedication once upon a time.   

                   
                        They live their bravery every single day. 





24 comments:

  1. Ella, I love that you have been the one blessed by volunteering with our veterans. Thank you for sharing your memories of visiting The Tomb with your father -- for what it meant then and for what it means now to you. Hugs! Windy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so welcome, Windy. Yep, I still remember that day very well. My time with veterans today is a high point of my retirement days. They are special people and always deserve our respect and thanks.

      Hugs From Ella

      Delete
  2. Hi Ella,

    What a lovely post in honour of the veterans who have served in our allied forces. How awesome that you volunteer, and even more so that you have gained a deeper understanding and appreciation from doing so.

    Hugs
    Roz

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I look forward to my morning at the VA and the people who make it meaningful. It is not all serious. We laugh a lot, too. Wonderful friends.

      Sending Hugs Down Under,
      Ella

      Delete
  3. Hi Ella, :) Beautiful post! I love how you give your time to help veterans, in order to give back! I always enjoy hearing the enthusiasm in your voice, as you relay your stories about your volunteering. So awesome!

    Thanks for the important reminder about the fact that service doesn’t end for these men and women, once they are done. They need our support moving forward too.

    Have a great weekend! Many hugs,

    ❤️Katie xoxo

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is so true, Katie. It is one thing to read about PTSD or hear about it on television. It is another thing to hear what it does first hand.

      Hugs From Ella

      Delete
  4. Wonderful post Ella. They give so much and ask so little.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Sunny. They did give and deserve our attention and respect every day of the year. I learn something every time I spend time with these veterans.

      Hugs From Ella

      Delete
  5. Ella,
    Thank you for your lovign tribute. While living on the east coast, I have visited Walter Reed Hospital several times. I walked the hallway where men and women were in wheel chairs waiting for medical attention. I never made that walk without tears and said to each person "thank you for your service". That memory is seared into my brain forever.
    Great post!
    Meredith

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for sharing this, Mere. There are many volunteers at our VA, and some of them do exactly this. They visit vets in the hospital. Lots of dogs, too. Letting them know that there are people who care is as important as the medical care they receive.

      Hugs From Ella

      Delete
  6. You are such a good person! I know how important your volunteering is to YOU! What a gift you are to them. I know they appreciate your thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. They like my baking, too! I love to bake, but Sam and I can't possibly eat all those sweets. Well, we shouldn't! But I bake something almost every week. There are never any leftovers.

      Hugs From Ella

      Delete
  7. Ella ... such a special post ... how amazing that your volunteer efforts have brought you such insight and joy. Although you mention what you contribute is not the focus, I am sure you, just being you, bring something special into the lives of those you meet. Hugs! ... nj

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks, Nora Jean,
      I just returned from reading about your Remembrance Day, and your post was special, too. Maybe it is our topic that makes it feel that way. I do try to bring some smiles with me every week. Our meeting is never the same 2 weeks in a row. A great bunch of people.

      Hugs From Ella

      Delete
  8. This is beautiful Ella. It’s wonderful that your volunteer service to these amazing men and women is so rewarding for you as well as them. It warms my heart that this is your choice of where to spend your time, acknowledging and honouring a service that goes beyond measure. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Glad you liked it, Laurel. It has turned out to be one of the things I like best about retirement. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, but I think I was very lucky that I landed where I did.

      Hugs From Ella

      Delete
  9. Lovely and inspiring. Volunteering is such a wonderful way to actively support those who support us every single day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You are so right, Deena. There are lots of things I wanted to tackle when I hung up my work hat. The people I meet at the VA make my life rich.

      Hugs From Ella

      Delete
  10. Ella,

    What a beautiful post. You are such a good person. Thank you for sharing this with us.

    Love,
    Ronnie
    xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The thing is, Ronnie, I have met so many good people. From the veterans themselves to the dedicated staff that strive to give them care, both physically and mentally, I have met some amazing individuals.

      Hugs Across the Pond,
      Ella

      Delete
  11. Lovely post, Ella. What a wonderful thing you are doing.
    Rosie xx

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I know it is wonderful for me, and I hope I bring some of that wonderful back to the veterans I care about. It is so important that they know that we support them.

      Hugs Across the Pond,
      Ella

      Delete
  12. It is great what you are doing, but I do know, from what my mother in law shares from her stories on the veterans wing at the hospital, how blessed she is in return, and I'm glad you are liking it too. :) They did give so much, I just, only know so much, and what I know touches me so much. Thank you for sharing this.
    EsMay

    ReplyDelete
  13. EsMay, your comment is greatly appreciated. I can tell you have a big heart. Please tell your MIL she is doing good work.

    Hugs From Ella

    ReplyDelete