Once upon a time, a young man was sent to fight in a far off place. He returned home 15 months later a very old man. It was not only that he had aged but he had also changed to the point he was afraid. Afraid of the dreams he dreamed at night, afraid of the thoughts that often filled his head and most of all, afraid to trust and become close to anyone.

The problem was the young, now old man, also had a heart full of love with no place for it to go. For years the young man tried to settle down and love just one person but always in the back of his mind was the thought, “What if they leave me? What if something happens to them? Then where am I? Alone again?”

You see the young, now old man, had seen his friends die and had held a few in his arms as they had died so he was unable to trust and feel comfortable trusting. There always had to be someone in the wings to fill in if one of his loves was lost for any reason.

Now, if one thought about this for awhile they would know that the only thing this was going to lead to for the young man was hurt and disappointment. For having another love in the wings meant the one love he was with would eventually leave him, making his fears come true. Thus no matter how hard he tried there was no way he was going to be happy or have a real love.

Til one day a woman came into his life and made him stop and look at his life and the way he was living it. She fought to be his one love and held him close at night when the fears and the nightmares came to haunt him. She would not allow him to be afraid nor would she give up on him. So he was forced to have but one love.

The funny thing was the young man, now a very old man, found a comfort in the woman's love that he had never found in any other woman's love. He found strength in her love that he had never found before. Thus, after years of wandering and cheating on his loves he found himself settling down.

He still has the fear of losing her but he can live with it for he knows that she does indeed love him. Perhaps, for the first time he knows this, and is comforted by that fact. The nightmares are still there but she is also there to hold him when they become too bad. And she is also there to be beside him on those long nights when he finds the images in his mind too hard to bear.

To her, and those other women who have found the courage to stand by their men, I say thank you on this day for veterans. But I should also include those wives who waited and those women who have kept those young men, who suddenly turned old together.