It's Veterans Day. The flags are hung, the songs will be sung; prayers will be said and loved ones remembered.

One of the great privileges of my life has been to sit with our veterans as they neared the end of their lives. Their ages have ranged from 100 to 45; some of their diseases were thought to be the result of something they were exposed to while deployed. Not once did I hear any one of them speak of regret that they served.

As I sat and listened to their stories I heard things that they kept secret.. At the end of someone’s life, people often feel the need to unburden themselves; and the things that weigh them down or haunt them need to find expression so they can let them go; so the chaplain hears things.

Here is what I have to say: if you know a veteran, thank them for their service, it makes a difference for them to know they are appreciated. If you know a veteran who is struggling, know that you will never understand what it is they went through, so offer them kindness and a listening ear. If you have time, volunteer at a nursing home or an elderly housing complex, specifically with their vets; no one who served this country should feel alone or forgotten. And offer a prayer, for all those who suffered and for all of those who will suffer, because the price of being a soldier is steep. More than anything, pray for peace, that is the wish of every soldier bowed down by the weight of their service: peace. 

Blessings, Denise