Thank you for being a friend!

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 16, 2021

PTSD Patrol has over 78,000 page views and I owe it all to friends like you! The work is reaching a lot more people now, which also means, you are a friend to a lot of strangers too. The more you share this, the more people with PTSD discover their lives do not have to be all doom and gloom. You are helping them find hope, information, encouragement and support, along with letting them know someone does care about them!

You also let me know that my life's work matters and have been a blessing.

Thank you for passing this on to people you know!

That is why this post is for you because I want to thank you for being a friend of PTSD Patrol~

Thank You For Being A Friend

Andrew Gold

Thank you for being a friend

Traveled down a road and back again

Your heart is true, you're a pal and a confidant

I'm not ashamed to say

I hope it always will stay this way

My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And if you threw a party

Invited everyone you knew

Well, you would see the biggest gift would be from me

And the card attached would say

Thank you for being a friend 

Thank you for being a friend 

Thank you for being a friend 

Thank you for being a friend

If it's a car you lack

I'd surely buy you a Cadillac

Whatever you need any time of the day or night

I'm not ashamed to say

I hope it always will stay this way

My hat is off, won't you stand up and take a bow

And when we both get older

With walking canes and hair of gray

Have no fear even though it's hard to hear

I will stand here close and say

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Let me tell you about a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

And when we die and float away

Into the night the Milky Way

You'll hear me call as we ascend

I'll say your name then once again

Thank you for being a

Thank you for being a friend (I want to thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I want to thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I want to thank you)

Thank you for being a friend

People, let me tell you about a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you)

Thank you for being a friend

Whoa, tell you about a friend (thank you right now, for being a friend)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna tell you right now, and tell you again)

Thank you for being a friend (I wanna thank you, thank you, for being a friend)

Thank you for being a friend

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Andrew M Gold

Thank You for Being a Friend lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management 

Did you let yourself know you matter in your own life?

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 15, 2021

Yesterday was Valentine's Day. We let those we love know how we feel about them. Was there someone you forgot about?

When we are born, the first love we have is for our mothers. After all, we know them inside...and out. Soon we love our fathers. We grow to love brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles and cousins. As we get older, we grow to love our friends. We learn to trust and share our lives. We do not always share our hearts.

Did you ever learn to love yourself? Did you let yourself know you matter in your own life?

I thought a lot about love songs yesterday. The one that kept popping into my brain was The Carpenters Only Yesterday. There are a lot of people who are lonely. You may feel there is nothing lovable about you, especially if you have had bad relationships in the past. It could have come as betrayal from a friend, or family member, or someone you gave your heart to. 

Did you ever give your heart to yourself? After all, you know you inside and out. You know all your flaws as well as you know all your qualities. You know what you went through, maybe even still going through, but you also know what remains inside of you that feeds hope of a brighter day.

Isn't it time you sang this song to yourself about yourself? Who else can know you better? Who else can show you how to "leave the past and all its tears behind" you?

When you have PTSD, the feeling of not being worthy of someone loving you, is a hard one to stop if the people you had in your life, pushed you away. Take a good look at the way the relationship was. Did you push them away first? Did you give them a chance to know what pain you were going through? Did you give them a chance to help you?

Did you end up hurting them because they didn't know what changed in you? Forgive them and forgive yourself.

Love yourself enough to believe you deserve to be happier. Love yourself enough to do more than hope for someone to come into your life to make you feel loved. You are already in your life and that should be where you begin to feed love so you have enough inside of you to give away to someone else.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Only Yesterday

The Carpenters 

After long enough of being alone

Everyone must face their share of loneliness

In my own time, nobody knew

The pain I was goin' through

And waitin' was all my heart could do

Hope was all I had until you came

Maybe you can't see how much you mean to me

You were the dawn breaking the night

The promise of mornin' light

Filling the world surroundin' me

When I hold you

Baby, baby, feels like maybe

Things will be all right

Baby, baby, your love's made me

Free as a song, singin' forever

Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely

You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me

Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today

Since I threw my sadness away

Only yesterday

I have found my home here in your arms
Nowhere else on earth I'd really rather be

Life waits for us, share it with me

The best is about to be

And so much is left for us to see

When I hold you

Baby, baby, feels like maybe

Things will be all right

Baby, baby, your love's made me

Free as a song, singin' forever

Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely

You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me

Tomorrow maybe even brighter than today

Since I threw my sadness away

Only yesterday (only yesterday, only yesterday)

Only yesterday when I was sad and I was lonely

You showed me the way to leave the past and all its tears behind me

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: John Bettis / Richard Carpenter

Only Yesterday lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group 

For those I love

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 14, 2021

Happy Valentine's Day! Since it is a day to celebrate love, this is a special one for those who serve and suffer for it. There is no greater love than to be willing to sacrifice for those you love. Suffering is not part of the deal and it doesn't have to be, if you consider the reason you are hurting.

The desire to serve was engrained in your soul. It comes from a place of courage and deep devotion. It is what drove you to endure the hardships that came with the job you were among the few willing to do. So why are you paying a price for it? Because the power that enabled you to do what you did, holds the same power to harm you. It is a strong emotional core that caused the desire and to feel the pain even more, but it also holds the power to help you heal PTSD.

If you were willing to die for those you love...be willing to heal for the same reason and LIVE FOR LOVE!

Never regret what you did out of love, no matter how others treated it or you. That is not your problem. It is theirs! Most of the time, they lack the ability to love as much as you do, care as much as you do, and they also lack the ability to feel all the good emotions as deeply as you do.

Use that same strength inside of you to heal for those you love and then, live a happier life because of what you did for love!

Remember...it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

I Will Live For Love

Donna Summer

There's got to be a way that I can dream

Simply close my eyes and see

The worlds I've never known

What places that my soul has been 

Sometimes I need to run away and hide

And soar above the clouds and ride

I sail along so high

Till nothing's in my sky

Except the stars that fill my eyes 

And I will live for love

Where ever it may lead

It's written from the start

I know it's face by heart

I will live for love 

I'm searching for the one who holds the key

To all this crazy life I lead

Through galaxies in time

A solitary star that joins 

Sometimes I need to close my eyes and breathe

Inhale what life's been given me

A passion to ignite

A flaming heart a' flight

I close my eyes

I breathe

I'm free 

And I will live for love

Where ever it may lead

It's written from the start

I know it's face by heart

I will live for love 

The poet must have known

A lover of his own

"Cause that is when he wrote

Everything I felt for love 

And I will fight for love in life and life in love

And I will hold to things above

I'm strong enough to slay the dragon dead and there 

I will live for love 

I'm taller than the sky

This dream will never die

So only know that I

I will live for love 

The poet must have known

A lover of his own

That is when he wrote everything I felt for love

I will ever fight

I will live for life

I will live for love

Genius Lyrics

Healing makes having PTSD easier but "It Don't Come Easy"

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 13, 2021

Today I had to go to the car wash. My car was covered with road salt because we've been getting a lot of snow lately. While sitting in the car, watching all the machines take away all the salt, I thought about someone I know going through a hard time. Then I thought how great it would be if all we had to do was get onto a belt, put our body into neutral and have all our struggles washed away.

It don't come that easily. Nothing really comes easy for everyone all the time. That is why today the featured video  is Ringo Starr It Don't Come easy.

When I was in school, some of my classmates seemed to learn everything easily. The wiz kids who usually got straight A's sooner or later, discovered that something would not come easy to them. Some had a hard time in gym. Some had a hard time in art class. For others, subjects were easy but they couldn't hold a conversation.

Having PTSD is not easy. Healing isn't easy either. The thing is, healing makes it easier to have PTSD. Sure, it can be hard at first, but it makes your life easier doing it. Then you can tutor someone having a hard time with this and make it easier on them too.

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive it!

#BreakTheSilence and#TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

It Don't Come Easy

Ringo Starr 

It don't come easy

You know it don't come easy

It don't come easy

You know it don't come easy

Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues

And you know it don't come easy

You don't have to shout or leap about

You can even play them easy

Forget about the past and all your sorrows

The future won't last

It will soon be your tomorrow

I don't ask for much, I only want trust

And you know it don't come easy

And this love of mine keeps growin' all the time

And you know it just ain't easy

Open up your heart, let's come together

Use a little love

And we will make it work out better

Got to pay your dues if you wanna sing the blues

And you know it don't come easy

You don't have to shout or leap about

You can even play them easy

Please, remember peace is how we make it

Here within your reach

If you're big enough to take it

I don't ask for much, I only want trust

And you know it don't come easy

And this love of mine keeps growin' all the time

And you know it don't come easy

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Richard Starkey

It Don’t Come Easy lyrics © Startling Music Ltd. 

Are you following your turn signals?

PTSD Patrol
Kathie Costos
February 12, 2021

When you are lucky enough to know your purpose in life, it can come with a lot of heartache. It can also come with an inner peace if you look at your purposed in the right way.

A friend of mine is a Presbyterian Minister. She preaches at a church, but she also does a weekly sermon on YouTube called Geeks Of Fatih. These sermons are for those who feel they do not belong in a church but belong in the group of like minded Science Fiction fans. They are blended with that, plus current events and Bible passages. She saw a need and while she was still living her purpose, she adapted to meet that need.

I worked with her for a couple of years while I was Administrator of Christian Ed and she was the youth pastor. She is filling her purpose in the church the same as she is filling it online to this group, filled with  love and true compassion. 

For many years my purpose was to help others after surviving trauma. For 38 years it was helping veterans and their families, then military members, followed by first responders. Because of the pandemic, knowing there were already over 8 million in the US with diagnosed PTSD, it was necessary to open up to help everyone dealing with surviving trauma. My purpose didn't change but over the years, I had to adapt to meet the needs too.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven

Ecclesiastes 3

There are some people who are doing exactly what they were called to do but it is hard when they look at it the wrong way. I am guilty of that myself from time to time. I get angry when I discover my work being used by others, as if it was theirs to just take. But when I get my ego out of the way, I have peace.

Look at it this way. Our purpose has limits. John the Baptist had the job to prepare the way for Jesus, but not to be Jesus. When Jesus sent out the 12 Disciples everyone knows because they were named in the Bible, He also sent out 72 with them. No one knows their names but they are responsible for clearing the way for Christianity to spread.

10 After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. 2 He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.
Luke 10

Do you think they looked back on their lives and thought it was wasted? No because they saw the people face to face, knowing their lives changed because of them. They knew that those people, would also change the lives of others they came in contact with.

All of us can't be superstars or famous or rich. It is not the job of all of us to be the leader of the parades, but all parades need someone to decide where to march and clear the way for the others to get from one place to another.

Are you following your turn signals?

That is why today, the featured video is The Byrds, Turn, Turn, Turn. Live your purpose no matter who supports you because of the One Who Sent You to do it!

Remember, it is your life...get in and drive!

#BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife from #PTSD

Turn! Turn! Turn!

The Byrds

To everything (turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die

A time to plant, a time to reap

A time to kill, a time to heal

A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything (turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down

A time to dance, a time to mourn

A time to cast away stones, a time to gather stones together

To everything (turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time of love, a time of hate

A time of war, a time of peace

A time you may embrace, a time to refrain from embracing

To everything (turn, turn, turn)

There is a season (turn, turn, turn)

And a time to every purpose, under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose

A time to rend, a time to sew

A time for love, a time for hate

A time for peace, I swear it's not too late

Source: LyricFind

Songwriters: Peter Seeger

Turn! Turn! Turn! lyrics © T.R.O. Inc.