I wasn’t looking to be ‘special’

He’s an 85 year old World War II veteran or as he describes it, he was ‘in Patton’s army’. When I met him a few weeks ago, he couldn’t speak much, couldn’t stand on his own and was unsure of me helping him. I was told he didn’t understand a lot of what was being said.

I continued to work with him and always spoke directly to him. It didn’t take long to realize he really did understand what was being said, he simply couldn’t express that he could. One day I looked right at him and said, “I know you can understand. I know you’re just having trouble saying what you want.” With that, he smiled his huge smile and nodded his head enthusiastically while muttering, “Yes”, as a tear fell from his eye.

We’ve continued to work together and share his progress. Last week I began asking him more about his time spent in World War II and though I couldn’t understand all he was saying, I was able to decipher and thoroughly enjoyed the conversation. A few times he teared up as he told me about D-Day, the Battle of the Bulge and more. I asked him if he considered himself a hero and I told him I did. Again, a few tears and a big smile when I acknowledged and recognized all he had done.

Here was a man who had once been a strong warrior who fought in multiple battles. Here was a man who was now trapped inside a body that wouldn’t cooperate. I didn’t treat him any differently than I treat anyone else. He deserved respect for who he was and who is still is today. Unfortunately, what I’ve learned is he didn’t always get it and too often neither do many others.

As I was getting ready to leave at the end of the session, he said something that I didn’t quite understand. I looked at him with a puzzled look and he repeated it again. Still unable to understand what he was insistent on saying, I told him, “I’m not quite understanding.” His reply, with every ounce of energy he had to say it just right was, “You’re special.”

With that, my own eyes began to tear and with my smile, he knew this time I understood. One little phrase that I wasn’t looking for and definitely wasn’t expecting, had absolutely made my day. At that moment diverse emotions hit me, sadness that something as simple as respect was considered ‘special’ and joy that I was able to gvve him a little bit of it.

There are some moments that will always stick with you and continue to influence you, long after they’ve occurred. I know this was one of those moments.

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