The Soul Goals, Episode 37: Gunny

Gunny’s heart for service to both his country and his friends and family is an invaluable gift to everyone’s lives he touches.  His belief in following through and working for what you want are motivating for the world surrounding him.  His story could have gone an entirely different direction, however…

In 1972, when Gunny was only 3 months old, his mother took her own life after suffering from postpartum depression in the 1950s.  His 9 year old sister took over the reigns of mothering him and his father, a career military man, stepped up and took the lead in multiple ways that he had to learn on the fly.  The fortitude Gunny possesses is a reflection of the life he had to adapt to in his home as he learned the value of moving through struggle rather than pushing it to the side.  

Gunny is quick to say that, like many teenagers at that time and in that era, he thought he “knew everything.”  He quit high school at the age of 17, enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, and married his high school sweetheart.  Life became a much different story than he could have imagined very quickly when he stepped off the bus for boot camp at 1:30 one morning.  But Gunny had learned about the importance of adapting and the value of sticking through the hard times and he went on to graduate from high school while in the Marines and serve in multiple tours of duty that allowed him to see the world and experience cultures and life outside of himself.

Gunny’s sacrifices through his service have brought him many lessons and a great awareness about life.  He will be the first one with a smile to greet you in a crowd of strangers.  He will be the first one to offer a hand of assistance in the most mundane of circumstances to the most challenging of situations.  His heart for humanity is such a wonderful reminder to all of us that we always have the option to choose kindness.  Semper Fi, my friend!

Everyone has a story, and every story matters!