Who's in Your Corner

I never do or say things with ill intention. Rarely wake up in bad moods, and I'm normally pretty even-tempered. I usually say what's on my mind or what has upset me, and that's when I get in trouble. I feel like my circle has gotten much smaller over the years. With that being said, I am not sure if it's because I am getting older or if I'm just having a harder time relating to people. Maybe that's what happens as you get older?

Our family felt the most support when my husband was first injured. That's expected. But as time went on, it's as if people stop caring, get tired of caring, or think you're supposed to be able to just move on with your life. Now, don't get me wrong, we have both worked very hard to keep pushing through and to become the best version of ourselves (something we will always work on). The last thing we wanted was to become a charity case or having people look upon us with pity. At first, it was okay; our world was shattered, and we needed help to put the pieces back together, and that's okay.  

I know that everyone has struggles in their lives, like I mentioned in my last post. I think if this pandemic has taught us anything, it's that you have to surround yourself with people that want to be in your life and are there because they want to be. Also, I think it has shown the true side of this country and the people in it. There were organizations and people that stepped up to help, and others who looted stores and were price gouging on essential items. There are two types of people. There are givers and there are takers. Those that try to understand and those that don't care to understand.

Okay, where am I going with this? My husband and I rely strongly on our faith and trust in God. But we have also found that we need to surround ourselves with those who make us better and vice versa. Those who will tell us the truth, even when we don't want to hear it. To give us a gentle reminder that we are facing issues many of our peers across the country are simply unaware of. Less than 10% of the population has served in the military. It was not something I thought about until I was married to someone that was wounded in combat.

Written By: Joanie, Veteran caregiver & HTH Representative