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Heroes |
February 14, 2001 |
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Monday afternoon I went out to the VA hospital for Valentines day.
I`ve been out in previous years, but this year I went with a group of 6th graders from the 21st Century Middle School. It`s a charter school with kids from all over the city that emphasizes involvement in the community. Donna Eldridge, one of their teachers, had the kids make Valentines for the veterans.
I had a good time and got a few kisses (from the vets, not the kids). For the kids, though, I hope it helped to water the seeds of a deeper sense of gratitude for the selfless service of our veterans.
I read an article this week by Peggy Noonan about heroes. She said something that rang true for me.
"The young are moved by greatness. They are inspired by it. Children need heroes. They need them to lift life, to suggest a future you can be hungry for. They need them because heroes, just by being, communicate the romantic and yet realistic idea that you can turn your life into something great. The key, of course, is to have the right heroes--to be lifted by greatness and not just by glamour, to be lit by the desire to do good, as opposed to the desire to do well."
It`s very hard for a child to make a connection with a veteran on a brief hospital visit, to hear more than what service they were in or what war they were in, maybe a brief story, a furtive glance at a leg no longer there. But they will come back again, and they will go home to parents and grandparents who have stories of their own that are worth telling.
Children need heroes and they need the stories of heroes to connect to who they are and form dreams that can sustain them. Stories in books are all well and good, but stories from people they love or have come to know in the neighborhood are even better. So, if you’re a Veteran and get a Valentine from a child this week, share the candy and then share a story. It doesn`t have to be serious or something painful to remember. There are lessons in the funny bits, too.
The truth is, the heroes children need most aren`t Presidents or pro-basketball players. They are the people closest to them who share a part of their lives that is ancient history to a 6th grader.
--Heather
Read more about the National Salute to Veterans Week
If you`d like to participate in this special week, or would like to volunteer to work with veterans throughout the year, contact the Albuquerque VA Medical Center Voluntary Service Office at (505) 256-2771. |
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