My Heros

Today's Washington Post front page article <---highlights a scene I see every week when I go to Walter Reed for treatments. Young men who have lost a part of their body to a battle they did not choose, much like me. They have lost friends to the same fight, much like me. They "soldier on" to become the best they can be, much like me. They are coming to terms with their new bodies and their newfound identity, fighting an emotional battle as well as a physical one. They do so with such strength and courage and a dose of humor as well, in an effort to cope with this traumatic event in their lives. I am reminded that my wounds, while hidden, are nothing compared to the very public display of their wounds and the life altering uphill climb that an amputee must confront. Finding a glass half full life is something these veterans have somehow managed to embrace. The alternative is a future mired in self pity and isolation. They don't want to go there, and neither do I.