I Can’t Find the Right Words

But I know that my heart is hurting

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

I want to say something about the crisis in Afghanistan — I just can’t seem to find the right words. I usually spend more time listening than talking, and sometimes words fail me. Empathy doesn’t.

Although I have never set foot in Afghanistan, I have been there hundreds of times through the words and memories of service members. In 2011, I stood on the tarmac welcoming home a plane of soldiers from Afghanistan — a cavalry battalion returning after an especially difficult deployment. I was their unit’s (civilian) psychologist and as their mission was ending, mine was just beginning.

For years, I worked with these soldiers as they processed their fear, anger, and grief. At times, it was an all-consuming tidal wave of emotions. They lost comrades, precious moments with their family, and pieces of themselves. Upon reflection, despite the hardships and grief, they would note their role in supporting human rights and this provided some peace.

I am no longer working with this population, but I worry about these soldiers, especially now. What are they thinking? How are they feeling? Do they have someone to talk to?

The news coming out of Afghanistan is disturbing, to say the least, and especially difficult for certain populations. Although I…