My son in 2006, a year or so before graduation was thinking of joining the armed forces, he wanted to do something to help people and to make a difference in our world. Although it is a huge honourable career to serve for our country I wasn't pleased. I suggested he do something else and join the reserves instead. In no way did I want my son ending up in Afghanistan fighting in a war. I didn't want him getting killed nor enduring the violence that was happening over there.
At this same time my co-workers son, who was in the armed forces, was sent over to Afghanistan and was there for many long horrific months. Thankfully he came back physically safe, but as with many returning soilders, his life would never be the same. What they endured over there, never knowing who the enemy was, the horrid acts of violence that they witnessed and took part in, events that I and most people know nothing about, have scarred them deeply. It's the wounds that you don't see that are always the worst and are so hard to heal from. So many of our veterans and members of the armed forces are now suffering from PTSD.
The time that he served I remember well, the stress my friends endured. Their cell phone would ring at the office and it would be their son calling. I had never seen them move so fast with such a sense of urgency to get together so that they could both, for a few precious moments, hear their son's voice. Then there were the weeks that they would hear nothing, while he was out on patrol throughout the day and night, miles away from the protected base, they would go to bed not knowing if their son would live to see his next day. I was so thankful that my son never signed up and at the same time felt their pain and angst but could do nothing.
I have always watched war movies, first with my Dad and then with my husband and always enjoyed them. This weekend I spent time with my son and his family. Over the three days we watched the movie "Saving Private Ryan". I have seen it many times and its one of my favourites. This time, however it was very different. I had to turn my face away many times from the scenes of violence as I could not watch. I now realized that this wasn't just a movie, that people had actually gone through these battles and saw this destruction and felt this pain. I'm not sure I will be able to watch this type of movie again...something inside me has changed.
Today as I headed to the ferry, I drove by the parade and looked at all the veterans marching along. I saw them with new eyes and felt a much deeper respect for them than I had before. I listened to the radio ceremony and shared in a moment of silence. As I reflected on this day I realized that I have changed for two reasons, watching my friends suffer so much during the time their son was in Afghanistan and how it still affects them all still today and having a new grandson come into my life earlier this year. As I approached the ferry terminal I wiped the tear from my eye and said thank you. Thank you to all the men and women who have served to keep our country free so that babies like my grandson can live freely. It is my prayer and hope, that he will never know what war is and that by the time he reaches adulthood our world will be a place of peace for all people everywhere as it was meant to be and as it should and can be.
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| My Grandson and I |
