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W Leggett
THE following IS AN EMAIL I RECEIVED FROM A FRIEND, YEARS AGO WHEN SHE WAS WORKING PART TIME AT THE, V.A. AN I WAS WORKING THERE PART TIME, SHE WAS GOING TO COLLAGE. WE TALKED A LOT, (CONNIE WILL KNOW WHAT SHE IS TALKING ABOUT THE BRACELETS') ANY WAY I USE TO TAKE SOME TO THE V.A. TO BE GIVEN TO VETERANS, AS GIFT' AT CHRISTMAS TIME. AN THE FEMALE EMPLOYES OR GUYS FOR THERE WIFES AS GIFTS.
NOW THESE DIDN'T COST ME ANYTHING AS I GOT THEM FROM MY DAUGHTERS FAMILEY BUSINESS, I CAN'T USE HER NAME AS WHO SHE WORKS FOR (YOU DON'T WON'T TO KNOW)  I WILL JUST SAY IN THE LAW INFORCEMENT AREA, BELOW IS A LETTER I RECEIVED YESTERDAY FROM HER AFTER A PHONE CALL, FROM HER. IT PUT A BIG SMILE ON MY FACE.
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This is my message of gratitude...
Nearing the end of a limited term position, I recently found myself facing an uncertain future. Regardless of the praise I was receiving from those I respect and the fact that I had planned financially for this possibility, I could not help but feel lesser. I submitted a flurry of applications at the suggestion of my supervisor and waited. A message finally came.
As I leaned into my closet, I searched for a source of confidence. I had been passed up for a position I could only dream of and found myself further disappointed by a second attempt without even a call for interview. It did not matter that the one holding the power in the situation had taken issue with me for seemingly no reason. I knew no matter how many times I knocked on the door, there would be no answer. I plucked a bright dress from my closet and decided it was better to shine than be lost among a sea of neutral suits. I was not going to dim my light to fit the standards of another, because doing so had seldom if ever gone in my favor.
I then tuned to my most sentimental jewelry. My favorite rings, a pair of often worn earrings, and which bracelet...or bracelets? A pair that had been gifted to me from a good-hearted soldier and his kind daughter. One on each wrist, much like Wonder Woman. Worn tight to keep me in the moment. They shone in the sun as I turned the steering wheel, entered the building, and rested my hands on the table in front of me as the questions began. As I saw the nods, shared the laughs still muffled by masks, and found the courage to speak without fear, I could feel the ever so slight weight. The infinity symbol on each wrist, a beginning and an end, a reminder to never be afraid of death and embrace the life that continues on. I left the room with my head higher.
Just a few weeks later, a call. Another e-mail. Another two interviews for two separate positions. Another bright piece of armor with a choice. I reached for the same two infinity symbols and soared again. An interview and a job offer on the same day. With another interview to go, the choice seems to make itself. The pieces that remind me that one door closing, and all those that refuse to open, lead to doors that others would otherwise never reach.
So, as I mentioned before, thank you for giving me the strength to calm the doubt and embrace the warrior I have been all my life. For the reminder that endings create new beginning, and that fear, while powerful, can rise and fall like the tides. It is just a reality of life, part of every existence, and begins and ends with you.
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SPAZ = Bill Williams 
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