I never imagined I\u2019d spend my mornings walking slowly around the Washington Monument with a trash bag in one hand and a<\/p>\n
grabber in the other. But these days, it\u2019s part of my daily routine. I show up early\u2014before the crowds\u2014wearing my old army<\/p>\n
hoodie, a knee brace, and a determination to leave the grounds cleaner than I found them. Bottles, cigarette butts, snack<\/p>\n
wrappers\u2014it all goes in the bag. Compared to what I\u2019ve seen during my time overseas, it\u2019s manageable work. And in many ways,<\/p>\n
it feels like an extension of that service.<\/p>\n
At first, I did it for personal reasons. Cleaning up this iconic place gave me a sense of purpose. It helped me feel useful again.<\/p>\n
But I started noticing how others reacted. Some people gave encouraging nods. Others whispered, curious about who I was and<\/p>\n
why I was doing this. One morning, I overheard someone speculate that I must be doing community service. I didn\u2019t correct<\/p>\n
them. Instead, I kept going.<\/p>\n
Then, something unexpected happened.<\/p>\n
Tucked under one of the benches I usually clean was an envelope with \u201cFOR YOU\u201d written on the front. I wasn\u2019t sure what to<\/p>\n
make of it. Was it a kind gesture? A random note? After a moment of hesitation, I opened it.<\/p>\n
Inside was a handwritten message: \u201cI see you every morning. Thank you for your service and for caring about this place. Don\u2019t let the whispers get to you. You matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
That note stopped me in my tracks. It was simple, sincere, and it meant more than I can explain. For the first time in a while, I<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I never imagined I\u2019d spend my mornings walking slowly around the Washington Monument with a trash bag in one hand and a grabber in the other. But… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":37861,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-37860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n