What does it mean to be a Friend and Family Member of Grace After Fire?

It is a chance to support and honor the women veterans of our country – your sister, mother, wife, daughter, aunt, neighbor, co-worker, friend or lover.

Society may expect a man to be stronger, but it also expects a woman to be pure, the nurturer, the giver, the care-taker of all – more resilient. When she returns from service, the family is relieved, “thank God mom is home!” The hope that laundry will be done, partner relations will just “pick back up” and the ability to go from shooting rifles, dodging bullets, conducting missions, building or standing post, protecting the country, sexual assault (or not) – to wiping the precious face of her child doesn’t happen automatically. But the truth is she expects it even more of herself.

“What is wrong with me?” “Why can’t I ‘turn it off’?” It’s like someone has high-jacked my mind!

The silent wounds of war often materialize differently for women than men. She needs your love, understanding, and support.

“She doesn’t make sense.” “Why is she like that?” “Why does she overreact to everything?”

“Doesn’t she love me?” “What happened to my ‘mom’?”

Here our Friends and Family Members can work together to learn, share and offer support to other family members. Share the experience of hope and joy – pain and sorrow.

They can hear the needs of these anonymous women. What may sound like the writings of your loved one, but more likely it isn’t. It is the common sounds of strength, the pain of shame, enduring stress beyond comprehension; and the wounds of being silenced, misunderstood, hurt, or humiliated.

But listen too for the sounds of endurance, courage, strength, desire to grow, the need to be heard and the desire to heal!

Join us now – Become a Friend & Family Member!

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