Coming to Reckoning and Peace: Mourning America’s War Dead - A Reflection

Abstract

Striving to understand and reverence. Two themes that surfaced from my reading and contemplation as I wrote and researched. As I asked questions - Striving to understand - about why a soldier serves, how the military and our country honor a soldier’s death, what purpose national cemeteries serve, more questions arose. There are no definitive answers to the questions I asked. Reverence: having deep respect for someone or something. At every turn of my research a sense of reverence was a predominant emotion that surfaced for me, and as demonstrated by those associated with the commemoration of our war dead. The already deep respect for my brothers and sisters who served, respect for the institutions, for the places, ceremony, and people that honor their loss was magnified. Regardless of one’s perspective on a national military, or war, a nation and its citizens would agree that honoring those who have died in service to their country is a moral imperative. What follows is my exploration of the journey of what is sacred and revered about mourning our kin who have lost their lives while serving our country and preserving the peace of our nation - and some might say the world. While I was researching this topic, accompanying me on my exploration was John O’Donohue’s Anam Cara, A Book of Celtic Wisdom. This book of Celtic Wisdom seeks to make sense of our brief time on this earth. Rooting the premise of his text in Anam Cara - Soul Friend - O’Donohue weaves the wisdom he spins as two soul friends would intertwine the stories of their greatest intimacies, fears, loves, and doubts that they would share with one another. All with the aim of making meaning. I am striving through my writing to make meaning of the passing of our kith and kin whom we’ve lost to war, and venture into some explorations for healing. You, dear reader are my anam cara - my soul friend on this journey.