The Vegas Voice 12-19

Hope for the Warrior
By: Chuck Dean / Vet 2 Vet
Sometimes it can be hard to have hope that
life will get any better. After military service
and serving in a war zone, many of us have had to
face great challenges to “get back into the swing of things.”
Even though most of us think it will be, life isn’t the same as it was
before we left. That realization alone can drastically diminish our hope.
Like many eras before, this one is difficult simply because we are in
the longest war in America’s history and deployments are an endless
revolving door. My heart goes out to the troops that are enduring such
difficulties.
We see a country embroiled in the worst political factions in many
years. It is very hard not to get lost in the current chaos and it takes
strength not to dwell there. We can HOPE to become one people again,
united in our national efforts.
As vets, we see a lot of foolishness in the civilian quarter and it is easy
to feel that hope for a better world is not possible. We feel torn and think
that perhaps remaining hopeful is a useless place to put our energy. But
I know one thing - none of us want to be hopeless.
Hope is often more about how we want the world to be more than
anything else. When I realized I was being bummed out because things
didn’t happen as I expected, it became easier to just let things go and
find some peace.
Striking balances is a good exercise. Balance levels things out and
reminds us that what is happening in front of us is not the end of the
story, it is just what we can see. This, too, shall pass.
Finally, there’s a great sense of hope to be found in community. A
support group with other vets experiencing and bearing the tough
times with each other is my favorite therapy. When you bond, you know
you are doing the best you can with what you have.
Have a great holiday season filled with hope.
Chuck Dean served as an Army paratrooper in Vietnam and
through that experience was led to address the many transitional
issues veterans struggle with. He is the author of several important
books for veterans. All can be found on Amazon at: http://www.
amazon.com/author/chuckdeanbooks
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