While we can’t tell others what to do, we can increase our own understanding and compassion, by learning as much as possible. So I find that both reading and writing memoirs are increasing my ability to relate to myself and to other people.

I’m so glad you feel inspiration from my blog. Thanks for your thanks. And good luck with your own journey towards self-understanding.

Best wishes,
Jerry

A dear friend died in his arms but he still doesn’t know what happened to him afterward. He was probably buried at sea, as was the protocol. Dad only remembers his first name, nothing else, which makes it even more difficult. Last year, we flew to Hawaii (where he’d been stationed) and created a memorial service for Mal. My father’s minister said something to me before we left for Hawaii that has stuck in my mind. He said that he has found that there is healing in “intentional times of rememberance.” Wartime death often does not afford those left behind any kind of time to remember. And even 60 years later, my father needed that. His grief was compounded by the fact that Mal died in the physical place on a ship, that my father had been seconds earlier. My father survived; Mal did not. And the question for which there is no answer is, “Why?”

Thank you for the work you do here Jerry. A visit to your blog always inspires me and makes me feel like maybe there are those out there in the world who see the value in books like my memoir, Breaking the Code-A Daughter’s Journey. Thanks for the inspiration…again! ~Karen