Independence Day
by Mélida Arredondo, GSFSO/MFSO
“Freedom isn’t
free!”Say this to a military or gold star family member.Military kin feel constant stress as their loved one endures
deployment.Gold star kin have lost the freedom to hold their
loved one again.This is not to say that there are never any nice
moments to be had in life ever again.It is to say that each
moment of pure goodness is very different from before their loved one went off
to war.Each nice moment is a miracle to a gold star mother,
father, sibling, wife or husband.
For most, empathy
becomes second nature.When one hears of a tragedy, eyes close in
order to digest those impacted (because it is never one person alone but also
those who loved him or her.)
Patriotism changes
after becoming a military family.One of two things occurs:there’s an overwhelming desire to deny thoughts that anything will happen
to Johnny or Sue.OR, one worries so much that the biting
fingernails down to nubs becomes a competitive event, sleepless night become
norm and indigestion is routine.
Patriotism is
transformed if the one you love dies due to war.The world becomes
still during all of the noise that one hears emitted from the depth of one’s own
soul.There is a loss of belief in one’s nation that did not do
enough to save one’s loved one.There are moments of anger beyond
explanation where justice must be done at all costs.OR, there is
sad acceptance associated with tears enough to fill an ocean.The
family of those deceased now sees their moment to cross over as a time not too
far off, growing closer daily.
Independence day in the
US is meant to bolster the spirits of those who know nothing of war, battles,
care packages, taps, flag draped coffins or injury.Independence
day is a “team-building” exercise for the people of this nation who believe
service is something someone else does.
