“Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom, must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.”
Thomas Paine
Today we celebrate the 4th of July, our freedom and our great nation. So often when we roll out those picnic blankets and light the barbeques we forget those men that provided each of us with that luxury, our troops.
I was recently invited to a concert from a soldier named Jason Moon and hearing his story of war in Iraq, of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and his life upon re-entry into a world he left to defend and one he didn’t know where he fit upon return was beyond inspiring.
Before Jason left for Iraq he was a singer and song writer who was studying to become a hospital chaplain in Wisconsin. In 2003 he was deployed to Iraq. Upon his return, depression, insomnia, nightmares and ultimately a suicide attempt had him diagnosed with Post traumatic stress disorder.
An insidious disease where Jason describes that “every life stress becomes a trigger, your low on gas on the way to the store and before you know it you’re in Iraq, you will die if you don’t have enough gas to get somewhere and the trigger goes off on the way to the grocery store.”
Determined to overcome this disease and to “slowly chip away the traumas of war” Jason began to find his voice again and that voice came through his music (Album entitled Trying to Find My Way Home) about his experience and ultimately his non-profit, Warrior Songs.Org.
In 2011, Jason realized that by telling his story through music he could not only help himself but that his music healed and connected other veterans as well. So he founded the non-profit, Warrior Songs.Org, with the goal to bring music to veterans in various stages of recovery. He has taken his pain and used it as fuel to heal thousands of soldiers.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7KvRIMGx8g&feature=relmfu]
Jason told me,” I find my joy connecting with other veterans to make a difference.” I asked him if he now saw a purpose in all of his suffering and his answer,” I will die doing this, this is my purpose, this disease is knowing my truth and is my something to believe in.”
Today when you see an American flag think of our veterans and all of those who give so we can celebrate. Happy 4th Of July.
Charity Matters.
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