Today at the Veterans hospital, I met a 54 year-old man who served two tours in Afghanistan. He could not speak words, but he made a lot of happy vocal noise. I hugged him and thanked him for his service. I could tell by his smile that he appreciated it. The older gentleman aide standing beside him told me the man had suffered a brain injury in his last tour of Afghanistan. I looked the wounded man in the eyes as I thought of the future he gave up for me and for the people of the Middle East. I told him he had sacrificed so much. Suddenly, he stopped making his happy noises. His face became serious. Not mad. Serious. We looked into each others eyes without blinking. Keeping our gaze, I asked the aide if this man could understand what I was saying. He said, he understands every word. So I continued looking into this young mans eyes and told him how thankful I was for him. I said, You have suffered so much for us. It must be so very frustrating not to be able to communicate with words. His eyes swelled with tears. I told him he is loved. He grinned and made his happy noises again. I didnt want to leave his side. I will never forget his eyes. There is a brave man in there with so much life, but he cannot express it well. What a sacrifice. I am grateful for men and women like his aide who take the time to get to truly know their patients. That aide had a lot of love in him.
Posted on: Tue, 11 Nov 2014 22:22:58 +0000
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