There is a story I tell in counseling, that gets Soldiers’ attention and sometimes may motivate them to live better. I told the story today, so it is on my mind. I have probably told it a hundred times. I tell if often because it sounds very close to the Soldier’s life whom I am talking to. Each time is a little different, and because I do not know all of the facts, sometimes I fill in the blanks. The story goes something like this.
One of my great-great–I don’t know how many greats—grandfathers was born to a mother who had five kids. Each of these kids were born from a different father. One of these siblings wound up in an insane asylum for anger issues—she was pretty mean. He lived in a messed-up family with a messed-up life. But this man, stood up and took charge. He always took care of his mother, but he moved them to another state and built a new life. He turned the family around to where several generations later, there is me. This could not have happened without his determination to carve a different path.
You, Soldier, can do the same for your family. You can stop the madness and the drama and turn your future around. Yes, there will be trouble. But, from this point on you are writing the future for the generation that will come behind you. You have a good job. You have education money. You are doing great things as a Soldier. You have everything it takes to turn your family around. So, go out for here and do just that.
I wanted to share that with you because I am having less and less contact with Soldiers and I don’t want to ever forget this story that reminds me of how my family’s background has impacted me, and how I impact the future.
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