Hope overcomes the darkness.
The more I travel around the country visiting wounded warriors like Jeremy Muncert and their families, the more I realize how connected we all really are- even in tragedy.
When life seems to overwhelm us, the easiest thing to do is let it isolate us. This gives the darkness strength and can lead us to believe that their is no “life” to look forward to.
Not only is there life, tragedy can often be the fuel that for the first time allows us to examine ourselves with brutal honesty and find true purpose and direction.
At Fort Bragg this week, I met an incredible warrior, Jeremy Muncert, and his incredible family. Blind in one eye, his body shattered in a car wreck, he survived injuries and combat in Iraq to come home and die 3 times after a drunk driver wrecked the SUV he was a passenger in. Jeremy had every reason in the world to be angry, depressed, and hopeless. It has been, and will be a tough and long road of recovery for Jeremy, but when I met him, I met a great American full of hope and determined to continue his own incredible journey. He wanted to talk about life and how excited he was to live it. He enjoyed my talk that evening and even volunteered to help me! His tragedy had given him a great appreciation for the “gift that is life” and he was determined to take nothing for granted ever again.
Looking through the fog is hard when it seems that all we will be greeted with is darkness. But the fog is a deceiver, beyond the darkness their is always hope and a purpose that we each are uniquely designed to fulfill. We all get broke. We all get angry, depressed, and want to give up. Sometimes, we do give up. But we all have a new life on the other side of the dark haze and I believe in every one of you. I never loose hope in the human soul.
Thanks for everyone who has made my journey so amazing. 15 years ago, recovering from a jet crash, I thought life was completely unfair and without purpose. Little did I know it was only the beginning of a journey that would end in wonder, excitement, and thankfulness. Just like the flame of Jeremy Muncert’s life.
