| One of my favorite hours each week is the
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| | don't come to the group because they need
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| one I have the honor and privilege of
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| | to tell war stories. There are bigger
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| sharing with a group of men who live at a
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| | needs being met: companionship and
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| local long-term care center. I was
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| | reassurance, a sympathetic ear, hearing
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| invited into their lives via a call
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| | the "self" in others, touching and being
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| placed to the Retired Senior Volunteer
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| | touched. It strikes me that loneliness
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| Program (RSVP).Someone was needed to help
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| | must weaken the spirit, consume emotional
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| facilitate a discussion group for this
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| | strength and dim the inner flames of all
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| group of men, all of whom had seen combat
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| | hope, happiness and meaning.When living
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| in World War II, Korea, or Vietnam.It
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| | in a long-term care facility, how does
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| didn't take many get-togethers for me to
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| | one solve the dilemma of meeting new
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| realize that these men had a lot to say.
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| | people and spending time engaged in
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| However, like many men of a certain era,
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| | interesting and rewarding activities? I
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| they were not initially eager to speak of
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| | suspect that successfully wrestling with
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| much other than women, food or baseball.
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| | loneliness is much more than "keeping
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| With time and trust, the content deepened
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| | busy," which is often a way to minimize
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| emotionally. I started to see the group
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| | and avoid feelings while not looking at
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| as less about veterans and more about
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| | what might make us happy.Sometimes it
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| issues of aging: loneliness vs. intimacy,
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| | starts with telling war stories.Lawrence
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| the search for belonging, and the
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| | Bienemann is the RSVP Program Coordinator
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| pressure to find a sense of meaning
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| | in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom.
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| "about life."By now I'm certain they
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|
