Hearing my son's voice for the first time in months couldn't have come at a better time. He was finally home and I was with 15 warriors in Utah with the Wounded Warrior Project Odyssey.   The experience provided me with a rare opportunity to connect with 15 warriors and 4 staff members at the National Ability Center in Park City, Utah.  The experience changed me as a therapist and as a Blue Star parent.  My son told me once that some stories can never be told.  The divide between the civilian and military population is  too wide.  I took in  his statement at the time and I honored it, but I have a deeper understanding for it now.  I came home a little quieter, with an expanded appreciation of what it takes for a member of the military to walk into my office or meet for a "walk and talk" and "process" his or her experiences.   I hear things a little differently now and my  role as a military parent and a civilian  is now clearer than ever.

This deployment continues to drag on and on.  The promise was "this will be a short one mom".  I suppose it was his way of shielding me from the truth.  He's become quite good at that as the deployments come faster and last longer than ever before. I'll be leaving in less than 12 hours on a plane to Utah to provide services as a therapist to the Wounded Warrior Project Camp Odyssey. Adventure Programming will be the push that I need to get out of my comfort zone. It will make me feel good to do something with my skill set and allow me to learn from my new teachers............................the warriors themselves.  Adventure programs are effective because they utilize personal development and growth through experiential learning. The warriors will be coached to set goals and create action plans.  A social worker's dream.