Dear Reader:

I love this design by Native-Americans for Veterans Day. The symbolism is so moving! Native-Americans regarded dream-catchers as protective amulets. Different tribes based their unique designs on their legends created for their specific dream-catcher symbolism. But all had one common theme-catching bad dreams so sleep was peaceful and serene.

***I remember one incident that Ben experienced a couple of nights after he returned home from active duty in the marine corps in Vietnam. The family was awakened by a large bump. Ben had fallen off the top bunk and was burying himself under the lower bunk where David was ( had been) sleeping.

We discovered he had had a nightmare that incoming -shells -were hitting him and he was digging in under a bunker for protection. I think the family realized then that a lot of healing would need to take place to help Ben with the transition of returning back to ” normalcy” – he certainly needed a dream-catcher that night!

I also love the patriotic leaves for Veterans Day ( in the title picture) that falls in autumn. For many veterans returning from the stress of battle… they feel as hollow and ” dead” themselves as many of their comrades they lost. But fallen leaves have Hope still embedded in them… with much help… they can once again rise to the land of the living.

” Anyone who thinks fallen leaves are dead… has never watched them dancing on a windy day” ( Shira Tamir)

” Mysteries, Yes” was printed yesterday on FB and like all of Oliver’s poems… it magnetically drew me to it.

Especially the last two stanzas speak to me daily and also help me remember the touching memories Ben brought back from Vietnam.

Let me keep my distance, always, from those who think they have the answers.

Let me keep company always with those who say… ” Look!” and laugh in astonishment and bow their heads.

On July 26, 1968… a chocolate cake mother had made arrived in the thickest of jungle patrol camps on Ben’s actual birthday ! Talk about a God Wink… and it tasted like it had just come out of the oven. Later Ben recalled it was his happiest memory from Vietnam as Ben shared it with his best friend. They laughed and swapped stories from home. The next day Ben’s friend was killed in an ambush..but for that one happy moment in time Ben screamed out in excitement and joy of a homemade birthday cake …arriving in the middle of nowhere!

So until tomorrow… ” Let me keep company always with those who say ” LOOK!” and laugh in astonishment, and bow their heads!