To Our Veterans and Those Fighting Personal Battles

This week was Veterans’ Day, and a time for giving thanks for those who served this country. There was a time when I visited the VA Hospital in the Bronx, where I visited my father (a Marine). I got in the habit of visiting even after my father passed to see some of the vets I got to meet, along with Vietnam veterans whom I knew from school back in the day. 

I even had the honor of introducing  Gin-Go to a few of them. Card playing in the cafeteria was a thing and still is. I don’t attend as much as I used to; I’m more likely to be found at Senior Centers in the Bronx, N.Y.  

I’m learning in my old age that many seniors are locked in their own battles with health issues, myself included. You name it, from family issues to health issues; you’re going to hear all kinds of rumors and stories over a board game of any kind. With Gin-Go, a game people put dibs on to play, when I come, the stories are always right out of the oven. So if someone hasn’t been around for a while, sometimes the most we can do is go visit them in the hospital or keep them in our prayers. We can only hope they improve, and perhaps we’ll have the chance to see them again the following week.

This past Thursday, I was lucky enough to spend time with a long-time Gin-Go player. We call him the “Ambassador” of the place because he always introduces me to new folks and, in turn, introduces them to Gin-Go. He’s been out for the last few months, dealing with chemotherapy. And while it's been rough on him, he felt strong enough to come back and sit in for some games. He’s sitting to my right in the attached photograph. He didn’t spend time talking about the procedure because it’s not over.

He tells me what he can without going into details, reminding me of how the vets kept the things they had gone through and the health issues they were dealing with close to their vest. The war is never really over, and in many cases, for seniors, it is just beginning. Courage and bravery in the face of trauma, on any level, leave their mark. Learning that life will find a battlefield somewhere for each of us, I’m just glad I'm able to provide a playing field where folks can discuss things (however slightly) and still laugh and share in the wonder of “play” during times of stress.