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From War To Home

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Resilience, Healing, and the Future

It’s weird to say, but my cat is the only thing I have to come home to. My kids aren’t there, so I’ve just got him. <br> - Jamie B. Photo by Raquel R. Photo by Ray F. This is my aquarium; it's kind of a therapy for me to sit and watch. It's almost like meditation, like clearing your mind. <br> - Toby B. Another form of art therapy is writing. I wrote a lot while I was deployed, although I never really wrote about my military experience. I still don’t write about my military experience unless I am in the company of veterans. <br> - Chantelle B. This kitten came up to me. I couldn’t just leave it there because it was a mess. It had fleas, ear mites. When we were in Iraq, we were getting chewed up by sand fleas. It was horrible. So I was like, I know what fleas feel like buddy. I couldn't throw him back on the street. - Tom F. Sometimes I take pictures of the clouds, thinking I might capture an image of Jesus. My faith has been tested, but it is still there. - Brian Y. My kids are sometimes the only thing that keeps me going. - Jamie B. My marriage and my wife are a real source of strength for me. I make more withdrawals than I do deposits. - L.R.D. Photo by Raquel R. Photo by Ray F. That was my daughter; she entered to run her first 5K. She was extremely proud of herself, and I was, too. <br> - Tiffany J. This one particular rose was growing up away from the rest of the bushes. It seemed like it was reaching for the sky. I thought what is this flower doing out here by itself? It seemed like it was trying to get away and move on to something higher, something bigger. It was kind of growing up and maybe growing in a different direction. <br> - Camille B. If I’m going to make it in the civilian world, I’m going to need an education. So I went back to school. It was there where I learned my love for photography. - Joseph K. I happened to develop a roll of pictures in class, and I was astounded how well the image had come out and I took pride in it. And it was from there that I guess you’d say my head opened up. - Joseph K. These are the things that decorate my room. The soldiers remind me of the unity that’s not only with individual guys but as a whole [the military] is like a family. - Michael C. I like to do the drawing and color them in. Because as long as my mind is occupied the thoughts of doing things to myself don’t fit in. They can’t find space. - Michael C. That's one of those buildings under construction. I see my life in that way. Kind of like that neighborhood. I'm under revitilization, you know? I was a Marine. I reached my peak at one point, and then I deteriorated. But I'm trying to fix my life back together.. - M.D.K. I ride my bike a lot. It helps clear my mind. This tattoo, my brother got it and I did it just to match him. I am really good friends with my little brother. We grew up together and have just been carrying on like little kids ever since. <br> - Thomas C. When I came [to Temple] for my interview it was extremely diverse, the student population was diverse, the faculty was diverse. Nobody goes into the military because they love the Army base [where] they are going to be living, and nobody goes to Temple because they love the sights and sounds of North Philadelphia, but everybody is there for service and it reminded me of what made me proud in my first profession so that is actually why I chose Temple Med School over other places. - Dustin G. I never put my feet in the sand in Iraq, but my boots were in the sand a lot. This is my feet in the sand in Costa Rica. I remember putting my feet in the sand and thinking how good it feels to wiggle your toes in sand, especially cool sand that has water near it, and how weird it was to be around so much sand in Iraq, with no water. - Chantelle B. It was really serene. Everything was perfect. There was nothing bad about that day. I really needed a day like that; I just got to contemplate a lot of things. I don’t really get too many days like that. - Micky D. I’d just finished fishing that day, and it was a calming image. I like to focus on those types of moments. - Toby B. So this is my metaphor. If I had stayed in the Army I would have just kept going up but instead I took the harder road. I got out and started all over. I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel but there is a long road in order to get there. I have a great family, I have support. I did not make that happen as much as I am fortunate. - Dustin G. But some of these other guys, it is not so easy for them. The road to getting to where you were before is so long; it is easy to feel like there is no light. A lot of these guys do not have the support that I had. It is just not easy for everyone to start over. - Dustin G. I keep that [picture] as a reminder. No matter what shape it took, that was my flag. I supported it. I defended it. I bled for it. And every time I see it, she brings me home. - Joseph K. This is me and my mustard seed. An expression of newness; new life and new things. But also thinking about being a mom, dealing with all of this PTSD, is really scary as well. I have talked with other young, single veteran moms who talk about stuff like...What happens on the day when I cannot get out of bed? Can I take my kid to see fireworks on the 4th of July? These are some of the things I think about. - Chantelle B. I volunteer as a driver for the VA. We pick up people who have chronic appointments. I feel their pain. Transportation is really an issue for some vets; it really dictates to the patients when they can schedule appointments. This way, I can help somebody else, and it gives me a chance to work on my people skills, which have been lacking in recent years. - Marc G. The storm represents a lot of my brothers who are facing a cold, a really cold, and brutal storm. I can see it coming. I know it’s coming. But at the same time, I’m facing the storm. - Joseph K. I did a ropes course with Wounded Warriors Project. When you’re together with other soldiers, and you hear their pain...I know there are a lot of soldiers out there going through changes like me but hearing them all...it was all different, but we all had the same problems. - Raquel R. I think there’s a desire in our culture to forget, to move on. There are some things that you should not forget. Some things I think you should not move on from. I could quickly forget what it is to go to war. I could quickly make it into GI Joe. I never imagine a cure. And it’s more difficult for you in the audience to hear that I’m troubled by these things; I haven’t moved on, that there is a cost to this. -- L.R.D.
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It’s weird to say, but my cat is the only thing I have to come home to. My kids aren’t there, so I’ve just got him.
- Jamie B.
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Last updated: June 3, 2015