Those Combat Boots Weren’t Made for Filling...
It’s been a little over three weeks since Michael took his life in our home. In these last three weeks, I’ve seen the depravity of society. FOR REAL.
I’ve been “hit on” by people that think that I’m vulnerable. They’ve even tried to extort me for money to fund my Kickstarter campaign to battle Veteran suicide. Thinking that I’m a “grieving widow” and that I can AFFORD to pay hundreds of dollars to write and market a book even though my household is now cut in half. Or that I’m going to start a “new relationship” because my Marine is in a box in the Veteran’s cemetery.
I guess I’m free game now.
I just gotta ask: DO I LOOK FUCKING VULNERABLE?
Because, guess what? I’m not. I’m tired. I’m HEARTBROKEN. I’m thinking DAY AND NIGHT on how to STOP this terrible epidemic.
I want EVERY Veteran that is thinking about suicide to JUST CALL ME. I’ll explain to them what it does to their families. Their lovers. Their kids.
I want to stop EVERYBODY from feeling like I do.
But it’s not realistic that every suicidal Vet can call me, now is it?
That’s WHY I want to write this book and get it in EVERYONE’S hands! I want EVERYONE that deals with Combat PTSD to know that there’s help and there’s hope.
The ONLY THING WORSE than telling Michael’s family that he had died, is telling his Battle Buddies. And mine.
You see, in an attempt to get Michael well, I created my own group of “Battle Buddies” that were Combat Vets that also suffer from PTSD. I relied on them to get advice on how to deal with him.
I have avoided “Ranger Jeff” for the past three weeks.
Today, I FINALLY told him that Michael has died.
Why?
Because I knew it would MESS HIM UP. He and I collaborated on Michael’s mental health for over a year. He told me what to say. What to do.
He, too, suffers from PTSD.
There are SO MANY dynamics in Veteran suicide that I can’t even begin to explain here.
But there is a cure. We just need to find it.
My name is Leilani. I’m now a Warrior Widow. And the bearer of BAD NEWS.
