Reflection
Reflection "Personal Suffering"
Thus far in my life, I have been fortunate enough to have not had to deal with the pain and misery of illness, death, or suffering in my immediate and extended family. Last year, though, at around this time exactly, I attended the Army vs. Navy football game out in Philadelphia. It was a great time-great food, great people and a really great game. I met some very interesting people that my dad had gone to school with at West Point many years ago; some are still serving in the army, while others have gone off and become extremely successful in other businesses. I also had the opportunity to meet many young men that had just graduated from the Army and Naval Academies who were on their way to serve in Iraq in a few months.
The few boys that joined our tailgate were 2006 graduates of the Naval Academy and officers in the Marines on their way to Iraq in January 2007. They each told us a story about their boot camps and training, as well as other different experiences they have had since being in the military. One marine named Lt. Travis Manion, who grew up by a friend of my family's in Pennsylvania, stuck around to talk and spend time with a few of our families. He was talking about his encounters on his first tour in Iraq and how he was nervous but looking forward to going back in a few weeks to fight for a country he loved so dearly.
In April of 2007, my family got the phone call that Travis had been in a combat fire and ended up saving two of his men, but in the process, was caught in the fire. It was a devastating moment for everyone to hear about Travis, as he was a young, fun and a great kid who was only seeking to do good for his country.
This October when I ran in the Marine Corps Marathon, I was running on Team Travis, a team dedicated to Travis and all of the good he had done for his country, as well as for all of the lives he touched. At the dinner the night before the race, many of his friends, family and fellow marines spoke in front of all the runners and their families about what he had accomplished in his 27 short years of life. There was not a single dry eye in the crowd and everyone was inspired for running the following day. As his roommate spoke about Travis being with us in the race the next morning, he said "if you're out there leading the pack, be the Travis that was always the leader and guided his peers to success; if you're out there in the middle of the pack, be the Travis that was always consistent; and if you're at the back of the pack trailing along, as most of us will be, be the Travis that always worked and never gave up." That quote stayed with me throughout the race and helped me to know that even with the pain I felt running, it didn't even compare to the pain and suffering that others are facing.
Travis' family has and still continues to deal with the loss of their charming son and brother, but know that his spirit will live on. Although I had only known Travis for a few hours, after being with his family and friends during the weekend of the race, I had felt like I had known him my whole life. It is hard to tell the story about someone that did wonderful things for our country, and a great person and overall leader, when you know they will not be around to continue doing the good he did for all. Travis' story has helped me to realize that the people fighting for our country are doing wonderful things and it has helped me to have a more profound love for our troops. His story has helped me realize that every little good thing that a single person does makes a difference and helping just one person can affect a whole community.
Travis' loss has helped me to realize how lucky I truly am for all that I have and fo all the people that are in my life. I feel I have become a more compassionate person for those who volunteer in different non-profit organizations as well as those in the armed forces. It has made meg realize that I want to do things that will inspire others to do good works for those less fortunate or in need of care. Sometimes it takes suffering to realize all of the good that surrounds you, and it is unfair to some, but like Travis's last words were in a letter to his mother, "if not me, then who?"
Allison Girouard, 2008
