A Conversation with Jean – February 28, 2018
“Whoa! Should have really gotten back sooner. Up to my eyeballs in stuff and taking longer naps. They say that comes with old age, and I ain’t getting younger. Anyway, lots to tell.
Anne and I have still doing lunch every Friday. She is doing so much better. Seems to be settling down after Corky’s death. Kathy reports that her blood tests are looking good and she feels optimistic. More on that at a later time.
Spent about a week and a half in Florida, believe it or not. As I said last time, Steve invited me to go with him. I didn’t have too much of a clue what was going to be on the agenda, but we started with a direct flight to Punta Gorda. Remember that little bitty burg where we bought some nice jewelry at a pawn shop on Rt. 41? Well, it’s not a little berg any more. Reminded me of Naples when Onna and Pop were there.
We found the only Irish Pub in town and stayed up late raising hell there. You would have thought I was a teenager. I was really pooped the next day though. There was an interesting Veteran’s museum there, and I met a lot of old guys there who inspired me with their devotion and love for Veterans.
In fact, their devotion and a lot of other episodes of devotion, inspired me to spend a fair amount of time developing a strategy for encouraging Veteran’s families to express their feelings about their family members who were or are Veterans on Relighting Us.
It started with me getting deeply involved with a book titled: “The Spirituality of
Imperfection.” Kathryn McAlarney gave it to me because it was a lot about storytelling,
and she had read it as well. It took a different, but parallel, approach to spirituality than
most religious entities in that its primary focus was on self-perception. Its evidence was
more tuned to the AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) curative approach.
Perfect for where I am heading with Relighting Us. The AA approach is universal and
does not have the handicap of religious politics. It inspired me to begin writing a
guidebook for Relighting Us. I titled it: “The Inner Preacher.” It is what I would call a
non-denominational preacher. It can be used for spiritual awareness by any group.
Another dimension of self-expression is the need for exchange of gratitude. To thank
each other for being there and helping. Deep in my heart is my memory of you thanking
me for taking care of you in your last years here. It completed our connection so strongly,
that I, while not being able to see or touch you, have kept you with me in my heart. You
are there, and when my time here is up your spiritual expression will be in the same place
as mine. I will see you, in all your glory. My task here and now is to make myself
worthy.
That is why I was inspired to put into place the website: Relighting Us. It is non-
denominational and devoted to spirituality. Created out of a desire to share what we had
going for us as we struggled to find each other and the peace that emerges from that
effort. We, together, supported each other. Our stories and others like them could be
valuable aids to others in that same struggle.
Writing and sharing stories are primary ways to live in our collective hearts. The
Veteran’s Echoes component of Relighting Us picks up where the conversations we are
having here leave off. They, too, have been a big part of my life since you left.
Talk about support, I never realized until you left me how important that support was.
Important in so many ways. To go forward it is necessary to look backward. Where you
have been tells a lot about where you should be going. In 1945, I was one of millions
engaged in a titanic struggle for survival. In that year I had a close-up look. It was not
pretty. I saw death. I saw destruction. I saw the horrific works of those bent on separating
and destroying us.
I was one of the luckier ones. I only had a short period of combat experience in that
realm, but enough to teach me to be grateful to all those who were there to support me.
Combat Veterans have one characteristic in common. They were there protecting each
other’s back. There is a special gratitude for that. It is the essence of fatherhood as
birthing is the essence of motherhood. Life depends on both.
Combat Veterans have had an up-front view. Those Combat Veterans that gave their lives
we call heroes. The rest, we call Veterans.
We thank Veterans for their service. Those who most courageously offered themselves
for their comrades we reward with accolades and medals. Veterans are those who offer
their lives for others. I was fortunate enough when you left in 2013 to be guided into a
reunion with my 1945 comrades, in that same year.
I never really told you how important that was to me. My grief was at a maximum, you
can understand that. If ever I needed support, that was the time. I have written tons of
stories about how that all came to pass, and, have posted them on Relighting Us. That
13th Armored Division reunion started to fill the hole I had in my heart when you left.
From that point on I have been ever so graced with a spiritual confidence that all is going
in accordance with God’s plan and that I become active in it as well. Active to the extent
of my abilities and nature.
Never one to completely understand my abilities and nature, I was directed into becoming
a writer more by default than any other factor. It just began happening as I reconnected
with my WWII experiences and my writing activities resurrected a sense of spirit.
Surprisingly enough a long-kept memory of my High School English Teacher telling
me I was a good writer kept flashing in my mind. Putting it all together those factors
combined put me in a place where I could find purpose in creating and seeking support
for the activation and operation of the website Relighting Us.
Writing and spiritual awareness go hand in hand. Relighting Us gets us there.
Imperfections can become our assets if seen from another place. The Inner
Preacher is our guide to that place. The place is Relighting Us.
I’ll keep you posted in my next conversations.
Patty and Steve McAlpin are my helpers and inspirations all rolled into one. We are doing
our best to spread the word. You might want to check the Inner Preacher and let me know
your thoughts. I have been seeing a lot of you in my dreams lately, and so, maybe you can
give me some feedback.
Give it a shot. I’ll be looking for it.
Talk to you later…