Read andreflect, consider, revisit, returnreflectconsiderrevisitreturn

A thank-you can matter. It can acknowledge military service without asking the person receiving it to tell us a story or perform gratitude in return. But the words alone cannot tell us what care or support a particular veteran needs.

Listening is a more respectful beginning. A stranger does not owe us an account of their service, health, or disability. If a veteran chooses to speak, their own description deserves more weight than our assumptions.

Some effects of service can be lasting, and needs differ from person to person. We cannot diagnose a condition or decide what help someone qualifies for from a brief encounter. We can take the practical needs they name seriously, help locate appropriate support when asked, and support care that is reachable and responsive.

Thanks is a beginning. Respect continues in the way we listen and act afterward.