You may not end up
Where you expected,
Dreamed, or planned
You would be,
But by the grace of God,
You will always end up
Exactly where you are
Meant to be…
Diana Mankin Phelps
Tag: Diana Mankin Phelps
Why I Write
In writing this book, A Mother’s Side of War, my hope was, and is, to raise awareness of the personal aspects of what our countries wounded endure throughout their recovery. And to show the reader, how when one serves, so does their family.
When an injured warrior returns home, they are not the only one who has been wounded, outwardly or within.
The blast that ripped through my sons AAV, setting him on fire and changing the course of his life, tore through mine, and all those who love him, as well.
We have all been wounded…We have all been changed…
Wounded
When my son, Marine Cpl. Aaron P. Mankin, was wounded while serving in Iraq, the marine families around me were the ones I depended on the most. I had so much to learn in a matter of days, and continue to learn as the years pass. All along our journey of recovery, there have been others to guide, advise, and support. For those who are behind me in their timeline of recovery with their service member, I feel I have a duty—we all have a duty—to reach out and try to make their journey a little easier.
Caregivers
We watch our service member from the day they sign their lives over to protect. Every move they make while serving this country is followed by all who know and love them. For every single warrior who returns home wounded, seen or unseen, there is a multitude of family, friends and communities who are forever changed.
Where do we go from here?
Everything seemed so simple, on the day I received a large bouquet of flowers from the other side of the world. My youngest son was stationed in Iraq as a combat correspondent for the Marine Corps. It was Mothers Day, May 8, 2005, when the touching note was delivered, along with the flowers.
Three days later my world changed forever, as did his…
Writing to Heal 