Sometimes life makes no sense. We have learned of the passing of Adan Olid who attended our retreat in November. He had been ill last week. His family told us he died from natural causes. We are deeply saddened at the loss of such a wonderful man. We do know that he found great joy in writing his song and hearing it performed, as well as hearing the songs of the other participants. He had a strong desire to help other veterans and was eager to share his story of attending the retreat and his love of music with the press. We will continue to work to get his song* and all the others out to those who may be strengthened by them. And that through his story, like many others, we can all find more ways to give our Veterans and their families more relief, and even joy.
We know that the holidays can be a tough time for many, and that this news is tough to hear. Adan was a peer support specialist who truly wanted to help others. In honor of Adan, we remind everyone that if you or a Veteran you know is in need of assistance, please call the help hotline at 1 800-273-TALK or dial 911. If you are in need of immediate help go to your nearest emergency room or dial 911.
Sending much love to each of you.
Here is a quote that Adan loved and included in his signature:
“You build on failure. You use it as a stepping stone. Close the door on the past. You don’t try to forget the mistakes, but you don’t dwell on it. You don’t let it have any of your energy, or any of your time, or any of your space.” – Johnny Cash
*Songs from the Nov. 2014 retreat will be posted to our Music page very soon