In our ongoing discussions of Cacioppo and Patrick’s Loneliness, our daughter Kristin shared some of her thoughts about the disconnect experienced by soldiers, particularly as they deploy and return home again.
Kristin gave a radio interview about the topic:
click to listen to the interview
Our friends at Ashworth University, which serves many students in the military, also found the interview interesting.
Although our experience can hardly compare with that of soldiers stationed abroad, we are missing our Kristin this holiday season. There is a distinct sense of guilt as we enjoy the comforts we have here, knowing that she is in a very different place. We are making long lists of things to do when she returns for the 2009 holiday season. We send packages of homemade goodies and warm socks and even a guitar, hoping to make her deployment a little more comfortable. We luck out on occasion and grab a quick chat with her on Facebook (the time difference is a bit challenging).
Kristin uses some rare downtime to practice her guitar playing
I thought it was a very nice touch to receive a handwritten Christmas card from Kristin’s superior officers. I’m sure these guys are plenty busy, and have families of their own that they were missing, but we really appreciated their taking the time to do this.
Not all soldiers have families who can step forward and help, and it’s just so important that all feel appreciated and supported. If you want to help soldiers, here are some places to start:
This site’s motto is “May No Soldier Go Unloved.” If you want to get involved in supporting the troops, this site gives you many ways to do so.
This site has a lot of useful links about everything from how to store a vehicle for 12 months to advice about how to interact with a soldier home on mid-tour leave.
Yes, many of us are facing challenges–financial and otherwise–but these seem trivial compared to the challenges facing soldiers. As Cacioppo and Patrick point out, “extending ourselves” will make us feel better, too!
This is the largest yellow ribbon formation so far--can you beat it?
2 Comments
Mhusband · January 12, 2009 at 11:37 pm
It was interesting to learn about the difference between loneliness and being alone. Although one can be in a crowd full of people, one can still feel isolated. Hence why the quality of a relationship is more important than quantity. My heart goes out to all the soldiers overseas who feel isolated because of there experiences and it gives me hope to read about the organizations that are reaching out to them.
ewalter · March 9, 2009 at 8:36 am
My brother is in Iraq right now and will be for awhile. He alway talks about how much he misses is and the only way he gets through the day is reading the letters we write him. We send him care packages with all his favorite things from home to make him feel as if he is with us and he never feels alone.
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