Two Soldiers

For the past few days, I have allowed myself to be mellow, to not think that life is a battlefield--that I have to fight for what I want. And here is an end to the battlefield way of thinking.

For the past six years, I have been given two missions. To take care of the two "soldiers" I would meet in the battlefield. But I am not a soldier--I am a nurse.

The first soldier I encountered was deeply wounded. The past battles he had to endure were still on his mind. But he was determined to start a new life. It took me a while to care for his wounds. Sleepless nights were filled with me helping him. And I could say that I was successful in assisting him. Because he had won in his battles and he was determined to be successful, he was promoted. He was given an easier job and transferred to another country. Sadly though, my mission ended there.

The second soldier was given to me on my way home to rest. Still tired and disappointed from the first one, another mission was not yet on my mind. But as I saw him--he was slowly dying. His one leg was amputated because of the bomb that hit their vehicle on their way back to the camp from a night out. Aside from his amputated leg, he was also deeply wounded. His family thought that he was useless and so they left him. He was still alive yet useless. How do you help a legless man who had been popular back in those days when he was still healthy--he was thriving with life until that incident. It took me a long time to help him--right now, I am still in the process of helping him.

It is easier to love anyone that gives you happiness--easy to get along with, able to treat you out on gimmicks, popular, loved by everyone, dependable, sweet, caring, gentle. But how do you love in spite of the difficulties? How do you love someone who cannot give you all the comforts of life--who can only give you his love. Yes, it's easy to leave him behind--but what if you are his only hope. You can either build him or destroy him.

The first soldier thought me about changing what I can. We have the power to make our lives a little better--by changing our outlook on life. The second soldier thought me about accepting what I cannot change. This is even harder. It is still hard for me. But as long as I am not destroyed, I am continuing on with this mission.

Life is a test. Life is temporary assignment. Life is a trust. Life is not anymore a battlefield.