In 2009 the New York Yankees were in the World Series, and I was lucky enough to attend one of their home games. While shopping for souvenirs in the gift shop I couldn’t help but notice a young man in uniform. I looked through so many items, unsure of what to buy for my son and daughter, but no matter where I went in the store my eyes seemed to land on the young soldier.

I’ve often wondered if other people feel awkward around soldiers the way I did. Some people may judge them based on political beliefs, but I feel one has nothing to do with the other. We don’t know what makes a person enlist. For many it’s a gateway to educational opportunities or job stability they may not be able to realize otherwise.

We only know that these young people are providing our country with a commendable service—a courageous service. Whenever I see a soldier I want to say “thank you,” but I never seemed to find the courage to say it. This day was different.

At last I had chosen souvenirs to bring my children, and directly behind me in line to pay was the soldier. With all my staring it was a miracle he didn’t think I was stalking him! I was overcome by the sudden urge to take what he was buying from his hand and ask permission to purchase it for him. With all that this boy—yes, a boy of maybe 20 years old—was doing for our country, for my family, for me, I couldn’t let him pay for that souvenir. However small a gesture it was, I just had to do it.

I felt as though time stood still and all eyes in the store were on me. The soldier looked at me in disbelief and said, “Are you sure?” Was I sure? You bet I was! I told him, “I wish I could do more.”

Suddenly it was as if the whole world was smiling with me. The entire store was silent; all you could hear was the stadium music over the loudspeaker. Wow, what a feeling! What a sense of connection, of love, of being one with each other in time. There was nothing between us, no politics, no judgment, no hate. In fact, there were people crying, including my husband, and the cashier, who began throwing freebies in my bag and thanking me for what I had done for the soldier and for the example I had just set.

If one small act of kindness can affect an entire room, think about how powerful it would be if each of us reached out to someone on active duty, or to a veteran struggling to readapt to civilian life?

I hope you’ll join me today and every day in honoring veterans of all ages. Our gratitude and compassion, expressed from the heart, are worthy gifts to these heroes in our midst.

Rose Caiola
Inspired. Rewired.

Thousands of soldiers are suffering daily, transitioning from the “zone” to home. For more information, read PTSD: A Devastating Reality for All Too Many Veterans, by Curt Pesman.