Survivor Assistance Guide: Fill & Download for Free

I am a survivor of a narcissistic relationship with my parent. It was a battle ground, a war zone, and no combat pay. I knew how to become completely invisible, quiet, and a wall flower. I remained in the shadows. Now, I am the life of the party!I learned from my personal experiences.I listen to my gut feelings. It has saved my life then and now.I knew I wanted to work with the severely mentally ill. I am retired.My life is filled with teaching moments, challenges, and fun times, then and now.I have learned to take one step at a time.I live in the moment not tomorrow or not in the past. Just today.I have a strong faith; it has assisted, guided, and instructed me, throughout my time at home, as well as now.I am still a student of LIFE.Do I have any regrets? No.

Jim Mattis, the current US Secretary of Defense, is a former US Marine and a combat veteran. Even at the age of 67 he could certainly kick Donald Trump’s ass. So why is Mattis not Trump’s superior, given that he’s “more powerful”?The reason, of course, is that ‘power’ and ‘authority’ are not the same thing. Glorfindel is a combat monster. Even the Nazgûl are afraid of him. He’s one of four people in Middle-earth’s recorded history to kill a Balrog. (Tuor, Ecthelion, Gandalf being the others.)However, Glorfindel is a soldier, not a politician. Back in Gondolin, he commanded one regiment in the army, the House of the Golden Flower, under the command of King Turgon. When the city fell, he assisted in the evacuation of the survivors, but deferred to the leadership of Tuor, whom Turgon had nominated as his successor. (“Let Tuor be your guide and your chieftain”.) He engaged the Balrog which was attacking the fleeing women and children to protect them, and died fighting it. Resurrected, he was sent back to Middle-earth and next appears in the history leading a fairly small force of Noldor to reinforce an army led by Prince Eärnur of Gondor and Círdan of the Grey Havens.All his life, he’s done one thing well: led troops in battle, or engaged foes single-handed. He’s never ruled a kingdom, he’s never acted as a judge, he’s not noted for his wise counsel or his mastery of lore.Elrond, on the other hand, is all of those things. He had his apprenticeship in rulership as the Herald of Gil-galad in the Second Age: clearly he was Gil-galad’s most trusted servant since the High King entrusted Elrond with one of the Three Rings of Power. Elrond is only noted as leading an army in person once, during the war in Eregion: but he wasn’t especially successful given that Sauron destroyed that kingdom. What Elrond did do successfully, however, was rescue the survivors of Eregion, and set up a hidden refuge — Rivendell — where they could be safe for the next 4,500 years or so. That shows his talents lay in leadership more than in war.(The fact that Elrond thus saved the surviving jewel-smiths of Eregion — followers of the same House of Fëanor which murdered his grandparents and destroyed his home — also points to his wisdom, compassion and mercy: all qualities you’d want in your ruler.)So much for Elrond’s personal qualities. The fact is, though, that he’s also the great-grandson of the same King Turgon of Gondolin who was Glorfindel’s sworn liege-lord. He’s the grandson of Tuor, whom Turgon entrusted with the leadership of the Gondolindrim, and whom Glorfindel followed (literally: Glorfindel commanded the rear-guard) in their escape from the doomed city.It’s likely that Glorfindel would consider that he owes personal loyalty to Turgon’s heir, in fulfilment of his oaths, quite apart from any question of whether Elrond is the legitimate overlord of all the remaining Noldor of Middle-earth.(Personally I’d say Galadriel had a better claim, but she didn’t want the job. Neither did Elrond, of course. You might even argue that Aragorn, as descendant of Eärendil’s eldest son, is the rightful Ingaran Etya-Noldorion, but he didn’t claim that responsibility either…)

Turns out my gut was wrong, in this scenario. I was closing up a coffeeshop by myself in downtown Seattle, was probably around 10:30 PM and in the winter so pitch black outside. We had a regular who always seemed nice, he was maybe 60something and was always wearing the same MIA-POW Vietnam vet hat and jacket, long grey hair, beard, the works. I tried to make it clearer and clearer that I was closing up (ie LEAVE!) but he just sat there, and kept looking at me with kind of an intense look. I started getting more and more nervous; he was a big dude. Finally he came up to the counter and I can’t lie, I was wondering what the hell he was trying to pull. He just said “I saw someone go into the bathroom, and they never came out. I really don’t want to leave you here until I know you’ll be OK. I will wait outside if you want but that’s why I’m still here”. I still wasn’t sure if he was screwing with me or what, so I went and tried to open the (locked) bathroom door. No answer. We used to get junkies shooting up, or people would just forget and lock the key inside, so I wasn’t really worried. I knock multiple times and ask if there is someone in there, no response. Then, on a whim I say “I just called the cops”…a dude BURSTS out of the door covering his face with his jacket and books it onto the street outside. I am standing there flabbergasted as this dude was pretty clearly waiting in there until I closed the shop, hopefully just to rob us but who knows. Needless to say the Vietnam vet did not ever pay for his tea from me or any other employee as long as I worked there. I still think of him as a guardian angel and hope he is doing well and happy. So, for once I’m glad I *didn’t* trust my gut***EDIT #2***He did not leave until I did, I had to ask him to wait outside as that was company policy when we cashed out the register, but he damn well stayed outside until I left, and even offered to escort me to my bus stop. He is a damn angel on earth.***EDIT***: Thank everyone for your heartfelt responses. I agree, this man was and is a hero. I am not a hawk by any stretch (I’m a big ol’ anti-war peacenik), but our veterans don’t necessarily get the support they should. If you want to donate to a veteran’s charity the following are supposedly very high qualityArmed Services YMCA of the USA (A)Bob Woodruff Family Foundation (A)Fisher House Foundation (A+)Gary Sinise Foundation (A)Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind (A)Homes for Our Troops (A)Hope For The Warriors (A)Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund (A-)Mission Continues (A)National Military Family Association (A)Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society (A)Operation Homefront (A-)Semper Fi Fund (A+)Team Rubicon (A-)Tragedy Assistance Program for SurvivorsETA: Donating to the VFW is also a great idea.