The emotion tied to military service is so often overlooked in our fast-paced society. People leave their families for months on end to put their lives in danger for our country. This image of Major Terri Gurrola embracing her daughter Gaby after returning from a 2007 tour of Iraq perfectly puts into perspective the emotion of military service. It captures the raw feelings of a mother separated from her daughter for months on end.
The general position of Major Gurrola’s body exemplifies the emotion felt in this moment. She is on her knees and it is apparent, she surrendered to the emotion of the moment. The look on her face combined with the overall position of her body shows how powerful the moment is for her. Her face appears distressed not in a sad way, but in a relieved way. It reflects all the pent-up feelings she probably felt leading into this moment being released.
The background and the overall situation of the moment also reflects the power of the image. It takes place in an airport, and their surroundings in that moment are nothing special. There appears to be someone in a suit walking behind them, and it appears a very public mundane place. Rather than waiting until they are home or in a more private sentimental place to embrace and release their emotions, they do it right there which shows how pent up the emotion of months apart was.
The actual embrace of Major Gurrola and her daughter is the most touching and impactful part of the image. Major Gurrola’s hand grips her daughter’s head in a way that reflects the absence of physical contact for an extended period, and the emotion she feels in getting physically touch her daughter again. Gaby’s grip of her mother’s neck shows how mutual the feeling of contact is. She appears to be grabbing her mother’s neck in a way only a child who has not seen their parent for months on end would. The image, captured at just the right raw moment, reflects the emotion toll service to our country takes, and reminds viewers of the sacrifice people in service make.
https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2014/oct/10/major-terri-gurrola-daughter-return-iraq-war
Humans love to take care of others. They like to take care of other people, other things, other tasks. This raises the question of who is going to take care of you? The answer is simple: you are going to take care of you. This is a confusing concept, but people say it all the time. The phrase “take care of yourself,” flies around nonchalantly like it means nothing, but it means a lot. The idea of taking care of your own wellbeing and practicing “self-care” is an important concept, and one that is particularly important in relieving stress, and maintaining a sense of wellbeing.
This begs the question “what is self-care?” Self-care is taking time to pay attention to you and your needs in a way that ensures that you are being cared for by you. When people hear about self-care, they may picture themselves going and getting their nails done or getting a massage, and these are very valid forms of self-care, but it can also take more simple forms. For example, one of the simplest forms of selfcare is getting enough sleep. It requires no money and is very feasible. Doing simple things like going to bed a little earlier to ensure you get enough sleep is a basic, but effective form so is self-care.
Selfcare does not have to be elaborate to be effective. Feeding and energizing your body is also a form of self-care. Taking the time to eat enough and eat properly to nourish your body is a very fundamental form of selfcare. Along those same lines, taking time to energize your body through exercise can also be an effective form of selfcare. Things as simple as stepping outside to get some fresh air during the day is a way to care for your body and soul. Of course, there are much more elaborate ways to care for yourself, such as taking a vacation, and while this is obviously quite nice, it is an ideal that not all people have access to. However, you do not need to jet off to a tropical island to feel like you are caring for yourself. An important way to begin selfcare is to check in with yourself and see what you need. Becoming aware of your needs helps you better address the ways to care for them, and just like that you are on the road to selfcare.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/skinny-revisited/201805/self-care-101
