I’m stepping out of my comfort zone here. I normally don’t write anything political or about war or conflicts between nations, states, or parties. But having seen Lone Survivor moved me in such a way that I feel compelled to share what I took away after watching the movie in tears with my husband and someone else (who has asked to remain anonymous).
The audience in the theater was silent during the entire show. The movie was tense, almost unbearable, while I squirmed and gasped holding my husband’s hand tightly. These Navy SEALs were brave men, tough men, a man’s man. They lived hard, fought hard, and died hard. We know by the title that only one of these men lived to tell his incredible story. But here’s what I took away …
At the end, as I watched the credits and some actual footage of these men, a stark reality hit me. The video showed segments of these real men interacting, laughing, and engaging in tender moments. They wed, danced with their bride, and held their newborn. I witnessed a new bride kissing her husband over and over with crumbs of wedding cake on her face, mingled with tears streaming down. At that moment she is living her dream.
These soldiers who died were someone’s son, brother, uncle, boyfriend, fiancé, husband, and father. I wondered about the women left behind and suffering in silence. We don’t hear much about them: Left behind is the torn heart of a woman who loved a soldier. Her heart aches and bleeds, paying the price of loving someone whom she has had to share with strangers while he fought for their country. I pray she finds comfort and strength knowing that her courageous soldier didn’t die in vain.
And lastly, while walking to our cars, the one who had joined us to watch Lone Survivor with tears in his own eyes said, “I learned a hard lesson tonight. I would’ve killed the goat herders originally. And then when I saw what the man and the boy did for Marcus — even though it put their lives and the villages in jeopardy — I was convicted. They did the right thing. It wasn’t the easy thing.”
And those words moved me more than anything …
© M.A. Perez 2014, All Rights Reserved
Reflections From the Heart 