A link for a good cause

   While we have made great strides with the awareness and treatment of veterans suffering from PTSD in the past decade (although there is still a ways to go), unfortunately we lag in other areas. In particular, the help available for families is woefully limited - especially when it comes to the children of our men and women who have served. It's hard enough for a veteran to learn to accept the changes in who they are because of war, to figure out who they are now and how to deal with life. How do you explain to a child why their parent doesn't handle the stress they way they always should? How little things can set them off at the wrong time? The issues with crowds, or traffic, or loud noises, or the thousand other things which are hard enough to explain to an adult? Most importantly, how do you help the child understand that these things are not their fault, that the problems dad or mom have are caused by something in the past, and that families can learn to get through them together?

   Army veteran Seth Kastle faced these challenges in his own life with his daughters, following tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a result of his experiences he wrote and published a book called "Why is Dad So Mad?" I was privileged enough to be able to take my own children to hear him speak the past weekend (at an event sponsored by the Wounded Warrior Project), and to hear him read his book for the kids present. Impressively, he also took the time to answer not just the questions some of the adults had, but he took the time to answer every child's question, to interact with all of them, and to remind them that they mattered. He also made sure to provide each family with a copy of the book at no charge. To say I was touched by the generosity of Mr. Kastle and the Wounded Warrior Project was an understatement.

   The book is well written, age appropriate, and does a great job for any pre-teens of helping to explain just a little what is going on. Additionally he has a version for moms coming out this year for female veterans in need.

   So - please consider supporting Mr. Kastle if you know anyone who may benefit from this. Let's do what we can to help the families just like we try to our veterans.

   *NOTE* - I am receiving no compensation or benefit from these links. While Mr. Kastle and the Wounded Warrior Project provided a copy of his book for my children, they had no knowledge or connection with this blog post in any way. I am doing this purely as a means of spreading awareness about a cause I support. Thank you.