By "Our story" I am not only referring to the relationship between me and my father.  I am referring to the greater group of people, the children of veterans with PTSD and mental illness.

This story is not just my story. As has been made so clear to me by the many people who are connecting and being touched by this piece of art. It is a journey one must go on to seek to find behind all of the pain, anger, and fear the love, value, and connection we desire.

It is a part of the human condition. We all want to know that we matter, that what we have done was for the greater good, and that our efforts were not in vain.

My father sought to find that and in some ways he did finally in the later years of his life. But unfortunately, his country was not able to give that to him in the way he so deserved for over thirty years and that scar could never be healed.

I went out seeking nothing less than what my father wanted. Connection, support, and a voice to lift up others who can relate to the complex nature of parent-child relationships, the military, and mental health.