5/29/2025

This past weekend we celebrated Memorial Day. While this holiday has become synonymous with backyard barbecues and family gatherings, it is also a time to remember those that gave their lives so we may live in freedom to enjoy life, liberty and happiness. We remember the heroes that gave their lives to ensure our opportunity for success.

When I think of heroes I think of courage. Courage is a small word carrying the weight of all our hopes and dreams. We celebrate the courage of our veterans but in reality courage is all around us if we take the time to notice. Courage requires us to have and to be comfortable with our own value structure because courage is often defined at the individual level. Sometimes it is difficult to define courage in words but most of us would say – “I know it when I see it!”.

For me, courage is expressed as an action taken to help or support another in need. It requires courage to look beyond our own day-to-day existence, see the people around you and take an action that benefits someone else. It is the teacher that packs an extra apple for the student that does not have lunch on a regular basis. It is the friend that calls just to say hello. It is the colleague that says they will cover for you when you have an emergency. It is the person that helps organize an afterschool program at the church. It is the nurse who takes the extra few minutes to ask how your day was and listen to the answer. It is the child that says please and thank you without a reminder. It is the neighbor that shares some ice cream and a friendly conversation. It is the stranger that stops to help you when you have a flat tire on the side of the road. It is the spouse that shows their love in all the little ways. It is the person who shares their professional knowledge just to be helpful, not to be paid. It is the best friend that sits with you when someone you love is dying. It is the relative that says “let me help you”.

First let me say thank you to all the courageous souls out there. Your actions are always appreciated even if words of appreciation are not always shared. And second, let me issue a challenge – how can you be a hero today and share your courage with someone else? Most of the time being courageous does not require a significant financial commitment but rather a commitment of time. Slow down, take a minute to notice the people around you. And when I say notice I mean really see others as people, as someone struggling to get through each day the best they can just like all of us. Have the courage to offer a hand up, a shoulder to cry on or a strong back to help move mountains. 

My wish for you is that you find the courage in your heart to help those in need and the courage to accept help from those who might offer it to you! 

Good luck on your journey to being a hero!

Growing up as the son of a retired Marine (go Devil Dogs), I have a unique perspective and connection with Memorial Day. I won't rename and recall every fallen service member I've known of, but rather one Marine in particular. This particular Marine gave the ultimate sacrifice during military engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan during the early to mid 2000's. I won't name his name out of respect of his family and loved ones. Honestly, I haven't seen or had a chance to reconnect with his son, one of my good friends as a child living in Twentynine Palms, CA, ever since his family was notified of his death. So because I don't know how they honor his name today, I don't mind leaving that detail out, with the intention of being respectful. 

I'll never forget how during the usual dry morning in the desert, my friend wasn't wasn't showing his usual goofy and borderline troublemaking personality. At some point during the morning we asked him if he was okay. He said he felt a little off and didn't know why, as if something was wrong. Within a few hours he was called out of class. We never saw him again. It was only a few days later that our teacher, with permission of the family, was able to share that his father died in the line of duty, and his death allowed his fellow Marines to survive an engagement. This was the first time in my life the consequences of war struck home and became REAL. We were just young kids in the 6th grade and didn't fully understand his father's sacrifice, or even the impact it might might've had on our friend. I didn't truly understand the implications of what happened until I became older and able to fully comprehend the stories of those fallen during battle, and the toll it takes on families in the aftermath. 

Needless to say, every Memorial Day I'm reminded of the death of this specific Marine. It's so profound that one would sacrifice his life in a foreign land, so that those back home could continue that precious pursuit of a more perfect nation. A Marine made a conscious decision that he would trade his life, so that his fellow Marines, his family, and his countrymen and women could see the fruits of that very pursuit. He accepted and made peace that even though he would close his eyes for the last time, his family and loved ones will be able to live with their eyes wide open, tackling every aspect of life during the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness. He'll forever be a hero to me, my childhood friends who knew him, and others who remember. 

As we reflect this week, let's remember why we uplift those who gave the ultimate sacrifice. Because of them, we're able to have our discussions and disagreements about how to move our communities and country forward. We're able to make sure that in pursuit of that perfect union, as little as possible are left behind, which is at the core of what millions of us do day-in and day-out. Again, this week let's reflect and not let the deaths our servicemen and women be in vain.

Let's continue to create that more perfect union together with love, faith, beauty, and hope.

PWA is working with our friends to offer you a chance to go on a cruise that will benefit the people living with chronic health conditions, like HIV, that PWA serves. The winter months are often difficult with requests for help with heating and utilities more than doubling.

PWA is working with Flex Ur Travel FJ Enterprise to offer like-minded and socially supportive friends and partners the chance to meet and relax on a CRUISE!

If you are interested in a fun get away, leaving from Miami, FL and cruising to the Bahamas, November 21-24, please contact flexurtravel@gmail.com and reference PWA. If you have any interest, contact them ASAP and reserve your spot!

Join us for relaxation the week before the holiday rush begins...and help us help people with chronic health conditions keep their heat and utilities on during the winter months!

Take a moment and imagine what we’d ask ourselves after receiving devastating health news. Will our health insurance cover this (if you have it)? Do we have a way to consistently get to our appointments? Do we have a safe place to live? Can we keep our homes if we miss work due to this? Will my friends and family be there for me?

For those we help, unfortunately those questions are met with extreme uncertainty. For this reason, PWA urges you to consider making a planned monthly donation to PWA. For as little as $30 a month, you can help heat a home in the winter and have A/C in the summer. For $50 a month you help children get a healthy breakfast each day. For $100 a month, you can help provide a housing deposit that allows a single parent to move into an apartment. 

In today’s challenging times, let’s come together to make sure that we can help as many as possible.