Thank you very much for the great question.
It was a turning point, because I was on the brink of committing suicide because of what I was put through in the forces. I was subjected to psychological and sexual harassment. People came to my house to harass me and called me on the phone. That led me to stop leaving my house and to isolate myself. I know all about isolation. I also know the stress and everything that comes with hypervigilance.
One morning, one of my friends took me there for coffee. I have a little service dog, and he saved my life in 2015. At first, I was far from being a girl who liked cats. Before she took me there, she told me that we were going to get a small coffee at a small place. It was tiny and beautiful. A few months later, it was up for sale. She said we should buy it. I said, “You're crazy!” I couldn't buy that. I had a hard time going home and buying groceries. She told me that it would help me with my injuries and fibromyalgia.
We don't sleep much at night, because our little hamster is running around in our heads. I started having ideas and thinking that this could be my safe space outside my house, because my house isn't my safe space anymore. It could be my space, and if it were my space, that meant it could also be a space for my brothers and sisters. It just happened one thing after another.
I put a star in my restaurant. When things aren't going well, I look at the stars outside, but they're invisible during the day. In my restaurant, I see it every day. My restaurant is open 365 days a year. For us, mental health doesn't take time off. On Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, we serve dinners for veterans and families who are alone. That allows me to continue serving my country, which is why I signed a blank cheque in 2007. The hypervigilance is still there, but it's receding a bit. When I see nice messages, and I see veterans gaining momentum to move forward, I know that we're moving forward together. These are small victories.
As for our cats, we decided to have only purebred cats to be different from others. We wanted to name them after our fallen friends because we wanted to pay tribute to them. We wanted them to continue serving the country in a different way too. We wanted to give them a second chance.
Above all, we wanted citizens to have a better understanding of our experiences and who we are. Since our place was different, it forced me to talk to the people who came to see us. That forced me to explain the difference, because we have different employees. I realized something. My psychologist told me that I was doing my therapy every day by explaining to people who I am, what I do and what I used to do. I wasn't getting into too much detail, but I was doing it by focusing on the positive and the present. I don't forget the past or the harassment I experienced. I don't forget anything, but it allows me to move forward. When I'm asked to be here today, when I'm asked to come to the House, I accept.
Just recently, I received a commendation. It gave me a little pat on the back and made me realize that I'm on the right track.
We're continuing to move forward. We won't change the world overnight, but we can do little things. When you listen to us, that's already a first step. We know very well that nothing will change on a dime overnight. However, listening to us is already a first step. You see the gaps we face as veterans, and you're trying to implement choices and measures to help us continue moving forward.
Thank you very much.