"Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art."
Stanislaw Jerzy Lec
At a fairly large gathering, I watched two veterans sharing conversations. They were laughing and engaging with others close by. Both men were paying attention to every action around them like trained soldiers, but gracefully blended in. A gentleman by their side noticed me observing and repositioned himself by my side.
After introducing himself, he told me one of the men was his father. The family had led a military life on base while his dad was frequently in other countries often fighting in the trenches of war. The son remembers his father as stern, withdrawn, and very angry. They were not close until his dad's retirement from a life long military career.
We watched this retired soldier's animated face, now filled with warm compassion. Reportedly, he had learned to release his demons, mourn the loss of friends, and sculpt a new persona from the residue of horror. The loving son was extremely proud that his father healed his trauma, and entered a new stage of life and offered nothing but loving kindness.
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