The Legacy Project
This is an ongoing project dedicated to cherishing our time volunteering together. We are sharing stories about veterans’ incredible experiences, describing how our interactions with the veterans at our respective VA medical centers have touched our lives, and bringing our communities together for reflection and introspection.
We hope to share The Legacy Project with the veterans we serve for years to come.
Link to the submission form.
Magic
My involvement with USVH began when my poetry buddy, a student veteran, asked me why he was having so much trouble connecting with his audience. Although I wanted to help him, I recognized that my ability to empathize with his military experience was limited. When I learned about USVH, I jumped at the opportunity; I was confident that a wider diversity of perspectives on veteran life would help me to understand him better. But despite my best efforts, I found it difficult to connect with the patients. This was not for lack of trying on either end; I chose my questions carefully, mindful of triggering unpleasant memories. The veterans, too, seemed willing to engage. The barriers to communication were ones I hadn’t anticipated, such as advanced dementia or difficulties in forming speech. Nevertheless, I was inspired by him and his love of words and, during my next shift, decided to read Harry Potter aloud to the veterans. They loved it. Although this was not the sort of bond I had anticipated forming, it felt deeply authentic. My conception of what it meant to connect with patients was substantively altered; I finally learned that no matter a patient’s medical condition, our shared humanity can be unearthed with a bit of creativity, empathy, and—dare I say—magic.
~ Anonymous
The Beauty of Nature
We start as a newborn creature
Perfect and young is each feature
But for us to seek
We must become weak
That is the beauty of nature
~ A Freshman Ready to Tackle Life
Destiny
A rumble hits your seat.
Taking off,
You hope you make it safely
Where you are meant to be.
You hope nothing goes wrong
In vulnerable skies.
You’re finally on your way.
Never forget:
You were once on the ground.
~ Anonymous
Love Stories Over a VA Dinner
The last word,
Love
The notion,
Dance
Life feels like one of those good dreams
You never want to end.
~ Anonymous
Acceptance and Reflection
Aging and illness is giving in.
Not giving up, but rather
An acceptance of trajectory.
We reach a cushion of stability and compatibility
With the concept of life.
Perhaps we start this friendship too late.
Finally, finding happiness with opposition
Of a great life lived,
The recognition leads to launch:
Plateau to downward slope.
Eventually, the most graceful way to survive
Is to accept the trajectory of will.
~ Anonymous
Vallée d'Obermann
I found volunteering with USVH through the letter writing program this year extremely impactful. The veteran I write to and I have developed an incredibly close relationship through the pandemic, despite never having met each other. I suppose that with all of the grief, hardship, and sorrow that such fraught times have brought us, the pandemic has also served as a unifying factor, allowing us to make deeply empathetic connections that we were not previously able to do. He and I are nearly seven decades apart in age, but have connected in a way that I did not think possible. He has been recovering from a stroke this past year, and though I have not been able to visit him, I have seen his recovery journey progress through the increased steadiness of his handwriting. As the penmanship on each of his letters becomes stronger, I feel that my spirit and hope grows a little stronger too.
The piece I chose to submit for this project is titled Vallée d'Obermann, written by Franz Liszt. Liszt has always been one of my favorite composers, but I felt that this piece was particularly fitting to my relationship with this veteran and the times we find ourselves in. Liszt composed the piece during a year of near solitude, basing it off of a valley that existed only in his imagination. In my interpretation, the piece begins solemnly, though progresses to end in strength. That is how this year has felt to me and many of my loved ones, this veteran included.
~ Grace Wang
Joy in Volunteering
Volunteering with USVH at the Menlo Park VA hospital has truly been a transformative and therapeutic experience for me. Having the opportunity to play games with the veterans and just talk about life has been the perfect escape from conversations revolving around chemistry and biology PSETs at school. In my many visits to the VA hospital, I have found that I can always count on at least one veteran to brighten up my day through conversation. Also, I have learned the importance of active listening when talking with the vets. Giving them my full attention as they tell a story, even if it's a story I've already heard many times, never fails to make their eyes light up as if they hadn’t told the story in years. Experiences like these really warm my heart and encourage me to keep volunteering every week.
~ USVH Volunteer
Sun
This was a fun and enjoyable experience. It is nice to think about other people and give them kind words. Gratitude is a powerful thing.
~ Greyson
Serving Those Who Have Served Me
Serving veterans in the VA is next to nothing compared to what they have sacrificed for my freedom and safety. I visited M a few times my fall quarter and was able to hear F and T’s life stories as well as connected with them through favorite pastimes such as Monopoly. Surrounding myself with veterans has opened my eyes to the many different walks of life from which people come and helped me grow an appreciation for the many diverse people around me at Stanford. I’ve greatly enjoyed serving those who have served me.
~ Alex Kwon
Friendship
Surrounding yourself with others brings meaning to life
Friendship is the cure to any strife
Fun times with people I care for
Brings me great joy
~Anonymous