Honoring the Fallen—and Those Still Fighting

As a therapist, I’ve had the privilege of working with many veterans over the years. I've always been deeply curious—and humbled—by what leads someone to make the profound choice to enlist. What drives a person to walk away from the comfort of civilian life? To put their future, their safety, their mental and physical health on the line? To leave behind loved ones and put life on hold, all for something greater than themselves?

The reasons are as varied as the individuals who serve—some are born into it, some are called by duty, others by purpose, structure, or survival. But no matter what path leads them there, each one takes the same oath: to protect and serve our country.

And many pay the ultimate price.

Memorial Day is more than a long weekend or a flag on a lawn—it’s a solemn reminder of the lives lost in service. Those who die in uniform leave behind brothers and sisters in arms, families with unfillable voids, and a nation forever indebted.

But there’s another layer to this remembrance—one that often remains in the shadows.

Many veterans carry invisible wounds. Depression, anxiety, PTSD, addiction, and relationship struggles are heartbreakingly common in the veteran community. Suicide rates remain higher among military service members and veterans than in the general population. And while Memorial Day is reserved for those who died in the line of duty, I also hold space for those who died fighting internal battles we couldn’t see.

To all who have lost a veteran—whether to war, to suicide, or to the long, complicated aftermath of service—my heart is with you.

This Memorial Day, let’s honor not just how they died, but how they lived. Let’s remember their courage, their sacrifice, and their humanity. And let’s never forget those still here, still struggling, still surviving.

May we hold them all in memory—with reverence, compassion, and care.