At Home Between Patrols

A vet reflects on the importance of home: that place you carry with you for strength and motivation when you are away.

Sailors and Marines stand on the deck of the USS Bataan (LHD 5) as it arrives at Pier 88 during the 'Parade of Ships' ceremony to kick off Fleet Week in New York on May 25, 2016. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Commentary

I think back on this memory, and I am reminded of the importance of being at home when you are there. If you know your career is going to take you away from what you cherish, for weeks or months at a time, make it a point to stop and appreciate what you have. Lay your hands on it, learn to truly KNOW it, and own that knowledge. Carry it with you for strength and motivation when you are away. Carry it as a line in the sand to mark where you were as you improve your life or a place to get back to when you are at a low point.

2016 03 10 Wednesday