Saturday, January 5, 2013

On my mind

I have a few topics on my mind lately, and they just probably won't go away until I write about them!
1st is the war, last week NpR wrote an article about this last year the war in Afghanistan has had less casualties compared to the amount of veterans who committed suicide. If you know anything about me, you know that I'm an advocate for mental health, and have volunteered for 1800suicide for over a year in Dallas. When I read the article I was saddened deeply, that veterans aren't being given adequate mental health services after serving for our country. I don't know where to even begin about the gap of services, maybe I'll have more to say after my own husband comes home. I will say that after our last deployment there was a period where Derek just seemed angry, and I wasn't going to put up with it. So we went to couples counseling, and he went to an individual counselor for a while. The beauty of our counseling is that his command never found out, we went through a resource for active duty members called Military OneSource, they found us providers and an appointment within 3 days! But when I come into contact with new military families they rarely know about that resource. It's also how we do our taxes free every year! But anyways, I think a lot of military are afraid to go to their boss and say look I'm having problems for fear that it will go on their record, or I know the other problem is that some veterans get out of military and want no contact with the VA system. It took Derek's grandpa 60 years after fighting Korean War to go obtain services. These people fight for us, and we in the US of A continue to stigmatize mental health, and seeking help for it. This also goes for the recent school shooting at Sandy Hook. There is no doubt about it, mental health needs to be looked at closer in our society. Along with gun control, I myself own a gun(which 10years ago I swore off but I healed) but feel there is no need for assault rifles in the hands of ordinary people in society. My other theory is to use our military to guard every school, bring God back in our schools, send my kids to only schools on a military post, or home school. I hate to think of my precious children I brought into this world seeing these violent acts of evil happen year after year, causes me a lot of anxiety thinking about that soon my kids will be in school soon.
And lastly, breastfeeding. Today their was a nationwide nurse in, I'm in the car or I would have made every effort to be there! I love breastfeeding and cannot stand when people make a big deal about nursing in public. It's a baby eating. This year at the state fair I got see a camel nursing her baby. I also saw a kangaroo carrying her baby in a pouch nursing! It's natural not just for humans, but for all mammals!
I hope that Bronson and I continue as long as possible breastfeeding even if he is 3 years old!
Sorry for the all over the place rant, but it helps me sleep better at night!

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