A close associate informs you his best friend,who is an active duty soldier, is now hospitalized. He sustained life threatening injuries in a bombing incident overseas. How will he reach out to his friend as he finds himself surrounded by other injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Military Hospital in Washington, DC? His friend’s leg wounds are severe. You can tell he has concluded his friend will survive this life altering event with dignity. They have been friends for the past thirty-five years. He is committed to giving his friend’s wife some relief by staying in Washington DC so that she can fly back home to Memphis to check on their sixteen years old daughter.
A follow-up contact was encouraging. You were relieved to find out this soldier’s legs would not have to be amputated, but the road to recovery was going to be a long one. At the age of fifty-one, he still has a lot of living to do. In his life time, he has worn many hats. He has proven to be a responsible father, a loving husband and a true best friend. It is also significant to recognize his role as a true soldier on the battlefield in defense of his country. As long as there is breath in him, he still continues to be a major player in all these different capacities. He will have physical and emotional scars. The essence of who he is remains intact. He will not have to crawl. He has a BF willing to carry him.
You concluded your associate was being strong, supportive, and positive, not for his friend, but for himself. This realization came to you as you listened to him talk at length about the many other wounded soldiers in the hospital. Man’s inhumanity to man is still perplexing to you. However, you believe in a greater Cause for the good of all mankind.
Hearing your associate express his determination to make himself available to assist his friend right now, made you smile. He was not concerned about the lengthy rehabilitation. As far as you were concern, he was sharing good news. Today is all we have. You are thankful and grateful for beginning to grasp the full impact of that basic life principle. You also realized the soldier’s injuries solidified the love of his best friend. It's the "He ain’t heavy; he’s my brother" principle.
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