To the American Soldier

To the American Soldier:

Americans are free because of your Honor, Allegiance, Commitment, and Bravery.
I offer you my humble gratitude.
Thank You.

During troubled and intense times such as, war time, I find comfort from the words adapted from The Bible, in the book of Ecclesiastes and music by Pete Seeger, The Byrds.
The message reveled to me from this poem and subsequent song is:

Accept what is, take one step at a time, and move forward.

TURN, TURN, TURN

To every thing there is a season,

And a time to every purpose under the heaven:

A time to be born and a time to die;

A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

A time to kill, and a time to heal;

A time to break down and a time to build up;

A time to weep, and a time to laugh;

A time to mourn and a time to dance;

A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;

A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;

A time to get, and a time to lose;

A time to keep, and a time to cast away;

A time to rend, and a time to sew;

A time to keep silence and a time to speak;

A time to love, and a time to hate;

A time of war, and a time of peace.

In some cases, the task of acceptance and forward motion may seem insurmountable.
No one can know the depths of your pain.

Your experience is unique from any other war in history.
The psychological effects of this war are profound.

My wish is that you find comfort. It is your time, and your turn, for absolute peace.

About the picture:
The nurse cradles a wounded male soldier giving him life support; another woman kneels, a standing woman scans the sky
for airborne help or perhaps divine intervention. This sculpture was designed by Glenna Goodacre and dedicated in 1993 as
part of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC. This is a tribute to the thousands men and women who served
throughout the world during the Vietnam War. I chose this picture to demonstrate the depths of compassion nurses know
and give freely.