My oldest son, Paul, deployed last week for the fourth time. We are a battle weary nation and I am a battle weary mother. However, as a nation, we need to remember the men and women and their families who honor their commitment to a “greater good.” I have a quote in my book, The Year of the Cicadas; “to be brave is to behave bravely when your heart is faint” by Pat Henin. I would like to remind you that these men and women who are serving may be weary as well, but they continue to move forward. So, I ask you, the reader, to put forth some zeal and continue to support these brave people and their families with as much support as we showed them during 2001.
My son will be gone for a minimum of ten months. During his last deployment he missed the birth of his first child. This time around he has already missed his youngest son’s first birthday and he will miss seeing him take his first steps. He will not be there for Easter egg hunts, anniversaries, Halloween, Thanksgiving and on and on. Sacrifices are not made only on the battlefield, but on the home front as well.
My daughter-in-law does not have him around to share these moments with, to celebrate or to be a shoulder to lean on when she grows weary. Yes, she has made the choice to support and encourage him in his career, but that support requires that she must put on a brave face and move forward on a daily basis.
Traumatic brain injuries are the most frequent injury from our “war.” The body armor protects our military personnel so well that their brains are shaken by a blast that would have killed them in a previous war. Post traumatic stress disorder, PTSD is also common. My son is a Marine Infantry man. He is the “boots on the ground, the tip of the spear.” By the grace of God, my son appears to have come back unscathed from his previous deployments. As he leaves again, the fear a mother has for her child’s safety is constant, as well as the fear of the unknown.
My book, The Year of the Cicadas takes you through the difficulties of recovering from a TBI, and the ripple effects it has on families. Although our other son’s injuries happened nine years ago and medical advancements have made the hospital journey somewhat different, the effects and the emotions remain the same for both the patient and the families.
March is Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness month, so please pass this blog and our book along to remind people to reach out to the family of a TBI survivor, to the survivor themselves or to our military personnel and families. Remember that “to be brave is to behave bravely when your heart is faint.” Go out there, be brave and offer your support. You will never know how much it is appreciated.
Catie
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The Year of The Cicadas 