September 10, 2023 | Issue #85

1 Quote. 1 Reflection. 1 Question.

1 Quote.

"The patriot volunteer, fighting for his country and his rights, makes the most reliable soldier upon earth."

 -From: Thomas Jonathan "Stonewall" Jackson
-Source: Henderson, Vol II, pg. 373

1 Reflection.

Dr. Mary Edwards Walker is the first and only female recipient of the Medal of Honor in US history. She was an abolitionist and medical doctor who tried to join the Union Army as a surgeon, but was unable to because she was a woman. 

She declined to work as a nurse and instead, accepted an unpaid volunteer position at military hospitals on the front line.

In 1863 she was finally allowed to work as a "Contract Acting Assistant Surgeon," and wore a modified uniform of her own design that looked like a man's. 

During her service, she "devoted herself with much patriotic zeal to the sick and wounded, both in the field and hospitals." She was captured by the Confederates, but released in a prisoner exchange.

Major Generals William T. Sherman and George H. Thomas both commended her for her service, and President Andrew Johnson awarded her the Medal of Honor in 1865.

Her award was temporarily rescinded in 1917 after it was determined that it was "unwarranted" because of her status as a civilian. She refused to give her medal back and wore it every day until her death in 1919.

President Jimmy Carter reinstated Walker's medal in 1977.
—
When humans have a good reason to fight, they (us) always find a way to stay in it.  Dr. Mary Edwards Walker is a prime example of this. However, this lesson is not only applicable to the battlefield:

Inflation is destroying your cash flow. 
Your marriage is in a rocky place. 
Your student loan payment is starting up again. 
Your knee is acting up again. 
Your child is falling behind in school.

The only way to make yourself a reliable soldier in these fights is to remember what you are fighting for:

You are fighting for the business that feeds your family. 
You are fighting for the love of your life. 
You are fighting for a future of financial independence.
You are fighting to be able to race your kid down the block. 
You are fighting to ensure your child has a better future. 

Design your own uniform this week so you can get yourself into the fight.

1 Question.

What habits and routines do you rely on when facing a crisis?