Girl With a Notebook

Living life with purpose and creativity. . . or trying to, anyway.

Make the Connection

Posted on | March 2, 2012 | 1 Comment

Soldiers board a Chinook helicopter.

Image via Wikipedia

A few weeks ago, our friend Jimmy came over for dinner. He and TM served together during the last deployment in Paktika Province, Afghanistan.

We sat around the table long after our kids had run upstairs to play. Long after the dishes had been cleared. I looked at TM as he talked, and as he listened, and I got this glimpse of what he experienced. Not understanding — I would never dare to tell my husband “I know what you’ve been through,” — but when I listened to him reminisce in the presence of his buddy, I saw how it helped him process what he’s seen and experienced.

Now I see the importance of community for veterans…

Before Jimmy left our house that night, he said, “We’ve got each other. We can talk about this stuff. But what about the veterans who don’t have support, who need help… and aren’t getting it?”

That got me thinking. Coincidentally, a few days later, I came across this website:

Make the Connection

In partnership with the VA, Make the Connection helps veterans, their family and friends by providing information, resources and solutions to issues affecting health, well-being and everyday lives.

The website includes videos clips of veterans and their loved ones, sharing stories about how they are finding support through Make the Connection.

I tend to roll my eyes at many of the online “resources” produced for military veterans and their families. But TM and I watched a few of the videos and they are the real deal. Highly recommended for those who need support. Also recommended for those who want to understand.

Category: Deployment

Irony

Posted on | January 19, 2012 | 4 Comments

what does smh mean

Image via Wikipedia

Foxtrot and I took the day off today. And by “took the day off” I mean we wore our jammies into the afternoon and made it a point to not actually do much of anything. It felt good.

After his First Breakfast, Foxy cut out a paper snowflake and almost removed a digit in the process. He also pulled apart a stack of neon Post-it Notes and ate a bowl of cherries — describing each pit in precise detail as he spit it into the discard bowl.

(He’s four, and one of his chief joys in life revolves around saying “potty” words. I’ll leave it at that.)

Meanwhile, I un-subscribed from a few blogs that make me feel bad (with their shiny happy story lines and perfectly styled photos).

Give me beauty and give me inspiration, yes. . . but please give me a little glimpse of your reality so that I know you’re human, too. Read more

Category: Motherness
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