Book Review: “Steel Will” by Staff Sgt. (RET) Shilo Harris

Although I’ve taken pretty much a hiatus from reviews this month, when I was asked to review Steel Will, I quickly said “yes” once I realized what the book is about. The men and women of our armed forces are near and dear to my heart. I’m an Afghanistan veteran and former Army-reservist. (My contract just ended last December.) My husband is active-duty Navy, and I’m currently working for the Navy as a civilian.

When I deployed to Kandahar, my job as a photojournalist often took me “outside the wire,” meaning outside the relatively-safe base and into the Afghan communities. Through all the convoys, helo flights, and foot patrols, God kept me safe. There were a couple of times I remember being truly terrified, but for the most part I always had a peace that I wasn’t going to die or be badly hurt. Not everyone is so fortunate. And not all wounds are visible.

Steel Will is the story of Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Shilo Harris. The tagline is “My journey through hell to become the man I was meant to be.”

Harris begins his book by telling about the fateful day in Iraq when his vehicle ran over an improvised explosive device (IED). I didn’t think Harris by any means glorified the gore, but he was descriptive enough that I realized just how horrific his wounds were. I even thought, he shouldn’t be alive.

Chapter two goes back to Harris’ childhood. He describes the events that led up to his enlistment into the Army after 9/11. His father had fought in Vietnam and came back a changed man, for the worse. And back then people didn’t really understand post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) yet. Although Harris grew up surrounded by family strife, drugs, and alcoholism, Harris was blessed to straighten out his life and meet Kathreyn, the woman who became his wife and was responsible for introducing him to the saving grace of Jesus. It’s obvious very quickly that Harris and Katheryn have a loving relationship, and that she’s a strong woman.

Harris’ book tells about many of the men he served with. The stories are both humorous and sad. He also brings to light some of the horrors of war as well as tragic circumstances many Iraqis faced daily.

About halfway through the book, Harris describes in greater detail the day of the ambush, as well as the IED blast itself. More than a third of his body was burned. He lost his ears and several fingers. Harris had a broken back and a fractured collarbone. When his wife Kathreyn arrived at the hospital in Germany, every part of his body except for his toes was bandaged. Kathreyn was told Harris’ chances of survival were 2 percent. Harris and one other Soldier survived the explosion, but three men didn’t make it.

As Harris’ body healed, he struggled with understanding why God had spared him, and not his men. And then he was angry, angry that God had allowed this to happen to him and to his family.

Besides the men Harris served with, he describes the various wounded warriors he met while recovering. It’s incredible what these troops and their families have survived. One phrase stood out to me. Harris writes, “If you ever want to meet a hero, you need to meet my wife.” Their relationship is inspiring. In a day and age where many people focus on what makes themselves happy, Kathreyn exhibited an unusual sacrificial love for her husband.

They did have obstacles to overcome, obviously. And it wasn’t just Shilo’s healing. Kathreyn had to protect and mother Shilo for months on end; she was his nurse for much of the time. So it was difficult for them to adjust their roles back to husband and wife, and lovers.

Over time, Harris became involved in different wounded warrior organizations and programs. He was able to travel around and serve as an encouragement to other warriors, newly wounded. He’s met presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. He and his family even participated in ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.

I could not put this book down. There were multiple places in the book that had me choked up: the stories of those that didn’t make it, the wounded warriors, the black outs and rages, traumatic brain injuries, the PTSD… These are things that many military families face on a daily basis. I’ve witnessed fellow Soldiers, who I believe suffer from PTSD, self-medicate with alcohol rather than talk about their experiences and feelings to a friend or professional. Harris openly discusses his experiences and journey of healing during a time when many still don’t speak about theirs and don’t ask for help. But they do need help.

The book ends with several pages devoted to the Soldiers who served with Staff Sgt. Shilo Harris and died that day, Feb. 19, 2007, in Iraq. And finally, Harris and his wife have included a comprehensive list of resources to help wounded warriors.

You can find out more info about Shilo Harris at his website www.shiloharris.com, as well as photos, videos, and more resources.

Note: I received a free copy of Steel Will to read and review. The opinions expressed are my own.

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A move, travel, wedding, and back to work I go

First, why is the quality of everyone’s iPhone photos so much better than mine?? Is it because my phone is old, or am I doing something wrong with the settings??

You’ve probably noticed my blog posts over the last two months have been sparse. Our lives have been in upheaval -for good reasons- but it means I haven’t had a lot of time for blogging.

First, Hubby came home from training after eight months away. We immediately moved from the Hampton Roads, Virginia area up to the DC/Baltimore area. We stayed with family or friends for about six weeks, while we were waiting to get into our new home. We’re renting a beautiful little house from friends of mine, but they weren’t able to get into their new home as quickly as expected. So they were waiting to get into their new place, and we were waiting to get into their old!

Last week we finally moved in, but left just a couple of days later for my brother’s wedding near Detroit. It was a beautiful wedding! My new sister-in-law is from India, and although the wedding was Christian and western, it still had some gorgeous Indian touches, like the bridesmaids in lehengas and the food at the reception.

The photo below is of me, my two sisters-in-law, and my niece. My sister-in-law on the far left (Cheryl) is wearing a sari; my new sister-in-law (Naomi) is wearing a lehenga; and I’m wearing a lehenga as well.

A sari (or saree) is usually about 6 yards of fabric. You wear a petticoat and a blouse, and then wrap the sari around you, over and over, and then pin it in a decorative way. I’m impressed with how my sister-in-law Cheryl was able to wrap hers!

My new sister-in-law, Naomi, and I are both wearing a lehenga. We took the easy way out, hahah. A lehenga is a skirt, and the choli is the blouse. Then we took dupattas (shawls) and wrapped them around ourselves. My dupatta was very long and ornate, so I spread mine out and pinned it in the front, so people could see how beautiful it is.

Bathroom selfie! I wish I had a better photo of this, but my dupatta (shawl) drapes over one shoulder, then I loop it near my feet and tuck the end into my lehenga (skirt).
Here’s another shot of the dupatta draped over my shoulder, nearly to the floor, and then up and tucked into my skirt. I was twirling in this photo, and my facial expression is ridiculous, so I cropped it out, hahah.

And of course I have to share a photo of Little J from the wedding. Doesn’t he look debonair?

Now that we’re back home, it’s time to finish unpacking. I’m also going back to work. That’s right! This stay-at-home-mom is about to be come a working mom. I start in just over a week. Later today I’m going to make a grocery store run, cook like crazy these next couple of days, and stock up on freezer meals. Other than my Army Reserve training, this will be the first time I’ve worked since I had my son. I have no idea what to expect! My mother in law has graciously agreed to come stay with us for a couple or few weeks to watch Little J, until we’ve found a good daycare. BTW, any suggestions on what to look for in a daycare? This is new territory for me!

One perk of working again: buying a new wardrobe. More on that later…

And that’s it for now! I have a couple of review posts, that I hope to get up this weekend. I also want to share with you my experiences with the Garmin Vivofit, so keep an eye out for that. Although I’m going back to work, I still plan to blog.

What are you up to? Are your kids back in school already or starting next week?
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Giveaway: Ubbi Diaper Pail, 8/12-26 (US only)

Are you expecting in 2014? Did you just have your little bundle of joy? Know someone who’s pregnant or trying to conceive? Then this event is for you! Alex of Mommy’s Obsessions is expecting her second son this October and has created an event that is perfect for expectant mothers. Mommy’s Little Miracle is a Pregnancy, Newborn/Early Infancy, and Postpartum event that will be featuring everything from maternity clothing to newborn essentials, to postpartum products you must have. We highly recommend that you bookmark the open giveaway page by clicking on the image below then adding it to your bookmarks bar. Over the next three weeks you will have the chance to enter to win some amazing prizes from items for YOU and things for your little one!
 
Today Mommy’s Little Miracle is featuring a diaper pail that is revolutionizing the way we store our dirty diapers – the Ubbi World Diaper Pail!

About Ubbi World

(As from their website)


Enter the world of Ubbi… where innovative products are created with parents and children in mind. Under the Ubbi name, you will find unique, quality products that are designed to be easy to use, helping to simplify parents’ lives while keeping babies as happy and safe as can be.

From concept to final creation, the Ubbi team works together every step of the way to bring you the best in design and value. The first of our products to launch, the Ubbi diaper pail symbolizes our customer focused philosophy and embodies our innovative capabilities. The Ubbi diaper pail is simple and easy to operate but utilizes innovative materials and an intricate design to achieve maximum odor control. The Ubbi diaper pail was machine-cycle tested and put under strict quality control requirements to prove its superior functionality and ultimate value.”

Photo Credits: Ubbi World
 
From Alex at Mommy’s Obsessions:

Diapers are an essential when it comes to raising a baby, because lets face it, your baby can’t be diaperless! One of my biggest pet peeves when it came to diapering Little Mister is that the dirty diaper – whether it be cloth or disposable, ALWAYS stunk up the diaper pail, which in turn stunk up the room! It was frustrating to always walk into Little Mister’s room and have it have a lingering smell, so when it came time to start thinking about a diaper pail for Little Boy’s room, I was determined to find something that didn’t smell!

Ubbi World Diaper Pails are not only sleek with a modern design, but they’re made from steel and don’t stink! Best of all, the Ubbi World Diaper pail is convenient because it doesn’t require a special bag for storing your dirty diapers!

To Purchase: Visit Ubbi World to browse the various colors of diaper pails and to grab some accessories! 

To Win: Mommy’s Obsessions and Ubbi World want to give one lucky reader a Diaper Pail of their own! Winner gets their choice of color!


 

The Giveaway will close late on the evening of August 26th. The winner will be chosen at random through  Giveaway Tools. The winner will be announced both on Giveaway Tools form as well as notified by email and announced on Mommy’s Obsessions Facebook. Winner must respond within 48 hours of receiving their winner’s email otherwise they will forfeit their prize and a new winner will be chosen. The winner will have their prize sent to them by Ubbi World. Mommy’s Obsessions and other participating bloggers are not responsible for prize shipment. Must be 18 years and older. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Google are in no way affiliated with this giveaway. No Purchase Necessary. Void where prohibited by law. US Only. For any questions contact Mommy’s Obsessions. Mommys Obsessions did receive compensation or product in exchange for the promotion of this event. This blog did not receive compensation for the promotion of this event. 
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