12/23/2025
There are words no one teaches you
for the moment you realize you made it home
and someone else didn’t.
No language for the silence
that stands between relief and grief.
So instead, there is the embrace—
arms locked tight,
breaths breaking,
tears falling into a brother’s shoulder
where no explanations are required.
This is the bond forged in places
where survival was shared
and loss was unavoidable.
A bond that doesn’t end with deployment,
or time,
or distance.
Behind every returning warrior
stand the brothers and sisters
who never came back—
still watching,
still remembered,
still carried forward in every step toward healing.
Grief doesn’t mean weakness.
Tears don’t erase strength.
They prove that love was real
and that humanity survived the war.
Healing was never meant to be a solo mission.
It happens when we stand shoulder to shoulder,
when we speak the names,
share the weight,
and refuse to let anyone fight alone.
🕊️ Join forces.
With fellow warriors.
With those who understand without explanation.
With communities committed to healing, not hiding.
Together, we honor the fallen—
not just by remembering them,
but by choosing life, connection,
and healing for those still here.