By Robert Simpson – Special to the Sydenham Current
I want to talk about the unsung heroes in a serving soldier and in a veteran’s life.
They are the wife, husband, boy or girlfriend, they are that special someone who is there as the veteran or soldier battle their wounds both physical and the unseen wounds.
The unseen wound is called PTSD it is the result of our service and what we’ve seen and done while in the Military.
Our unsung heroes stand by us each day.
They are unsure of what to do to help us.
Tormented by our suffering and yet they are there for us.
It hurts them to see our suffering.
They are a very special person, their Love of us is total and with no reservations.
All they want is to see our suffering to stop and they would give anything to make that happen.
Theirs is a pure Love and we are so lucky to have that love.
Too often the Military Member or the Veteran cannot express themselves as to what is going on in their minds.
Mainly because they are suffering and cannot tell people as they are scared and confused themselves.
Our biggest problem is we feel weak and that we have let the others down because of that fear or confusion about what we’ve done or seen .
We feel we are a lone that no one else has the problem.
Sometimes we withdraw inside ourselves, lash out at those around us who Love us or think the dark thoughts of ending it all.
Truth is we are hurt and we don’t know where to turn for help, understanding and we need someone to help us.
There is many times that that someone is there right in front of us who stands silent, worried and they don’t understand what is happening to us.
This is our wives, husbands boy or girl friend, our other family members.
They are not sure how to help and they hurt because we hurt.
They struggle to understand because in many cases they were there when we left for overseas and our tour.
Too many times when we come back we are not the same person who left.
The person who comes back is a tormented person who is in hell, they are lost, alone and hurt.
Their minds struggle with the events and they cannot explain it.
It takes such a long time to start making sense of it for us and for the words to come out of our mouths.
Sometimes it never gets out.
That special person is standing there, their only tool to help us is their love.
They are scared, hurt too but that love is there given freely and they only want to see us get better.
That love can and does get us through many bad times.
It is hard on them and make no mistake it is hard to sit there and watch the tormented person you love go through that hell.
Not knowing how to help them, to fix them, to get them back or to stop their torment.
To the soldier or veteran we may not see that person standing there.
The reason is we are trying to stop the pain with drinking or drugs and we have not reached out for help at an OSI Clinic etc.
They have that special love which in time will help save us.
They hurt as much as we do and they stand by us.
To serving members of the military and veterans look around do you see that person standing there?
They’ve been there all along hug them, thank them and return that love.
You should show your love and go down to the flower shop and get them a flower, hug them and say ‘I love you, thank you for being there for me.’
Those of us who has that person are lucky, we may not see every day but they stay with us.
Start your healing today by sitting down with your loved one and start talking about what happened.
It’s hard I know that, but start to tell them a little bit each day.
Little by little it will get easier and they’ve stayed this long they will stay with you.
They won’t hate you, they will love you even more. Why? Because you are letting them in to your hell. Talking is our most powerful weapon in our war to heal.
Now to people are the Wallaceburg area we have a group which meets every month and we also talk to each other during the month.
We are the Wallaceburg Veterans and Families Support Group our next meeting is March 10, 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church.
You can contact us on facebook at the Wallaceburg Veterans and Families Support Groups page or A Veterans Point of View By Robert Simpson.
If you wish to stay private then Private message me on facebook. As I like to say, Let’s Talk shall we?
LEST WE FORGET
