Reading Journal 5
Rebecca
4/26/10
Pages 162-203
I Am a Soldier, Too
By: Rick Bragg
“There was silence in the room for a few seconds, Jessi was much thinner than they remembered, and her head had been shaved so doctors could better treat her head wound. Dee stood transfixed by the sight of so many machines, so many tubes and wires, by the bag of blood that hung near her daughter’s bed. She knew that what she was seeing in the bed was no worse than what any mother saw after a child’s catastrophic accident — in fact, all through this ordeal Dee had told herself that she was not special, that the pain, fear and worry were spread out over the American landscape, coming home to people who lived with as much or worse, much worse. As she looked at her daughter she was determined not to cry, but she could not speak, either.” (Bragg 168) Jessi’s mom knew to expect the worse but it still hurt her to see her daughter this way. War can have such a major effect on soldiers. Jessi is lucky to even be alive. Loved ones of soldiers never want to see or hear that they are hurt. Jessi was very hurt but her family stood by her side and held her hand while she was in the hospital bed.
I agree that Jessi’s mom knew to expect the worse, but she also knew that her daughter was strong enough to survive. I think it would be better to expect the worst because if you get your hopes up thinking your child is going to come home safely, it would be more of a let down if he/she didn’t.
| Posted 1 year, 10 months ago