I have two brothers that serve our country. I am very proud of both of them for the sacrifices that they make. I am always scared when they have to go and do the job that they train very hard to do well. I have a knot in my stomach the whole time that they are away and I have a hard time thinking about anything else. I know that they will do their jobs well but I am still afraid (maybe more for me than them?). When they are at home (in Canada), I often ask, what can we do? What can Canada do to show our appreciation for what you choose to do everyday? The answer is always the same, Support Us. It is that simple, that is all they want in exchange for risking their lives for us.
My oldest brother has been in the Army since he was 18 yrs old, and he is a regular guy. When you ask him what he does for a living, it is like igniting a fire, the passion for what he does is incredible. When he went to Afghanistan, I asked him why he had to go and he replied, because that is what I do. How can you argue with that? He came back in one piece ( Thank You, God) with a little less hearing than when he left but in one piece. An I.E.D exploded right in front of his armored vehicle and he is very lucky that all he lost was a little of his hearing. I am also very lucky that he came home.
My youngest is in the Reserves and was in the Navy when he was younger. He left when he was young to help raise his family (one can imagine that it is difficult to be a dad when at sea), and has always thought something was missing from his life. A few years ago, he figured it out. He would not be complete without serving our country, so he joined the Reserves.
How do we support them? Love the ones you know, and show acceptance to the ones that you don't. They do one of the hardest job in the world and receive the least amount of recognition for what they do.
Sihing Kichko
