Looking for Words

Yesterday, a very ill man carried out a horrific act at Fort Hood. In a matter of minutes, lives were stolen and hearts were broken irrevocably. I sit in prayer for those lost and their loved ones. May peace come to them and healing to the injured.Like many, I am looking for comprehension and frankly, words. I doubt I have the right ones but here they are...While not there, I felt a personal connection to the event. My husband and I were in that very building just two weeks before. Had his appointment with the health services been scheduled for yesterday, we could have been among those victims.  But it's more than that. My husband and I know a little bit about PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder). We know the winding path it takes to be diagnosed and to get help. We know the struggle internally to understand the feelings of anxiety and deep pain.I do not know the shooter. I do not know what drove him to do this. I doubt we will ever truly know. I pray for his family as they process what has happened and their own loss.I do know this. PTSD is real and it is debilitating. Thousands are walking with it every day. Thousands upon thousands. It can come from multiple deployments but it can also come from a single event. In war, our military personnel see things that no one should see; do things that no one wants to do. They are wounded physically but also can be wounded far more deeply emotionally.When an event like this happens a spotlight is shown on the disorder and the spotlight is harsh. Rather than an opportunity to discuss how we support these men and women, the stories often create fear and mistrust of those who have served our country. These soldiers and veterans are not the enemy and do not need our judgment. They have families and jobs and really want to be healthy. They need our help and many find help hard to find.Again, I have no answers for yesterday. I only ask that if your heart is hurt like mine, you will choose to learn more about PTSD and those who are carrying its burden. They gave their all and its our turn to give back to them. Because we are to great of a country to leave any of them behind.