This is Memorial Day. With all its odd mixture of Nationalist rhetoric, pro/anti-war sentiment, sadness for he fallen, vague guilt that we should feel/do/be something we aren’t, anger that we are something we never wanted to be, and the need to stop the hurting. No wonder people run away from home this weekend.
Being Native American I’m not interested in the propaganda or the politics. I learned early on that war is about politics but fighting is about people. The way of a Warrior is to do what is necessary and to realize that the actual battle is within the self. To live in beauty, to use your abilities wisely and for the best and highest good of everyone, including yourself, sometimes requires sacrifice, sometimes requires not acting at all, sometimes requires acting in an instant and with finality. And the consequences are something you live with for the rest of your life. That is why all tribes have ceremonies and support for their warriors, an entire culture around caring for them before, during, and after their service is done.
Today, be the culture you want to have. Start today honoring the warriors in your life. Those that raise their children in trying circumstances, that do more than their fair share to help others, that battle everyday to make this life a better place. And if they did so by traveling somewhere, picking up a weapon and doing what had to be done, well honor that as well. You’ll find that they don’t want ribbons or parades or presents, they just want to be seen and heard. They want to be known. And if they need a bit of help, well, isn’t that what they deserve?