The Things We Left Behind

Book excerpt: While this book is being published as fiction, the very essence of the story is a true one. The gentleman this book is actually about felt that his sins were far too horrible to be forgiven. While the names and certain events have been altered in order to avoid sharing any inaccurate information, therefore making it fiction, he did, in fact, grow up in a small rural community in the south. The innocence of that idyllic childhood was shattered due to the draft during the Vietnam War. Then he struggled to rebuild his life from that point forward. However, he found that there was no returning to the things he left behind. The innocence of youth was forever lost. While he survived physically, although narrowly, any semblance of normal life was gone. From that point forward, he dealt with overwhelming guilt. Guilt for going and leaving loved ones behind, some he would never see again. Guilt for coming home and leaving his men behind, many whom would never make it home. Guilt for things he had to do during the terror that was an integral part of war. He tried to seek relief by rebuilding and helping as much as he could. He was, however, overwhelmed with the fear that nothing would ever be good enough to bring about forgiveness for his seemingly unthinkable sins. Like many who have been through such traumas, he suffered silently, and this took its toll. He was fortunate enough to have had many caring people who tried to help through the years. In the end, he was blessed to finally find the answer through one seemingly simple question that allowed him to find the peace he so desperately sought. His dying wish was that his story might help others.