The Days We Don’t Forget

There are dates we never write down, but we never forget.

No calendar alert. No red circle with a Sharpie.

But somehow, we always feel them coming.

You don’t even have to look at the date.

Your body already knows.

Your mood starts to shift.

Sleep becomes a struggle.

Nightmares become the norm.

You find yourself staring into space a little longer, reacting a little harder, retreating a little faster.

It creeps in quietly.

The heaviness.

The hollow ache.

You tell yourself it’s just a rough week, but deep down, something in your bones remembers what happened on that day.

For Veterans. For First Responders. For survivors of any kind.

There are moments in time that left a scar.

A call that changed everything.

A knock on the door.

A deployment that took more than it returned.

A fire you still smell in your sleep.

A goodbye that came too soon.

You lived through something that tried to break you. And even when the rest of the world has moved on, your body keeps the score.

These dates come back around, and when they do, they don’t ask permission.

They show up in your dreams.

They show up in the way you flinch when the room gets too quiet.

They show up in how you brace yourself without even knowing why.

This is not weakness. This is survival.

This is how your body tries to protect you, even when the danger has long passed.

And this is where the Coin of Resilience becomes more than just something in your pocket. It becomes a tool. A lifeline. A small, steady reminder that you are not reliving the past, you are walking through the memory. You are not broken. You are human. And you are not alone.

So if the weight feels heavier this week, check the calendar.

You might not have remembered the date.

But your soul did.

Honor it.

Talk about it.

Feel it without shame.

Carry the coin.

Let it remind you that you made it through once, and you’ll make it through again.

We don’t forget these days. But we don’t have to face them alone. We don't Quit.