"On September 11, 2001, my husband was killed in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon.  I was without my husband; my children without their father.  It wasn't a deployment; he was never coming back.  After being a military wife for nearly two decades, the life I knew no longer existed.  Soon after the condolence casseroles stopped arriving, our military friends and family stopped arriving too.  They were moving on to new duty stations and new friends.  Though this deepened the loss, I learned I didn't need to go through it alone.

I joined TAPS in May 2002 at the National Survivor Seminar.  I attended sessions about coping with loss, dealing with trauma, and helping my children grieve, while receiving emotional support from peer mentors who had already walked this road.  My children also attended the Good Grief Camp with other children who lost loved ones.
 
I cannot put into words how much TAPS helped my family to move forward along a new path and journey.  So, while our military family moved to new duty stations without us, we moved too.  We moved forward to a new kind of military family, TAPS.  We are survivors!"
 ~ Lisa Dolan, surviving spouse of Capt. Bob Dolan, USN 
 
The Dolan family now gives back to the organization that helped them.  Lisa and her therapy dog provide hugs, love, and doggie kisses to newly grieving families at our National Seminar.  Her children volunteer as well.  It is a circle of love that is vital to new survivors just beginning the grief journey.

On this Patriot Day, we remember the lives lost eleven years ago.  We remember those who have dedicated themselves to service and have gone into harm's way in defense of our nation and the freedoms we hold dear.  We honor the legacy of those who have given their lives, by caring for their loved ones left behind.