Veterans Day parades and ceremonies scheduled for Monday on St. Croix and St. Thomas have been canceled due to the heavy rain impacting the territory, the Office of Veterans Affairs announced.
A pre-Veterans Day ceremony planned for St. John on Sunday also was canceled due to the weather.
This year’s honorees — Henry A. Powell of St. John, Chief Judge Emeritus Verne A. Hodge of St. Thomas, and Wilfred Tuitt of St. Croix — will be recognized at a date to be announced, according to the announcement.
“This decision was made in response to the continuous rainfall for the past few hours and what is expected to continue for significant periods throughout the day. The safety of all participants, attendees, and staff is our top priority,” the release stated.
“We understand the significance of this event to our community and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause. We thank you for your understanding and continued support,” it said.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, wet and unstable weather conditions will prevail across the region as moisture associated with a tropical wave continues to filter into the area. More rainfall is expected Monday, which will enhance the potential for flooding, landslides and rapid river rises, it said. Additionally, marine and coastal conditions will gradually deteriorate with the arrival of a northerly swell, bringing hazardous seas and life-threatening rip currents, particularly along the northern coast of Puerto Rico, Culebra, and the USVI. Visit the Source weather page for more information.While the ceremonies are canceled, both Lt. Gov. Tregenza Roach and Delegate to Congress Stacey Plaskett issued statements honoring the territory’s veterans.
“Each day that we enjoy the many freedoms and privileges afforded to us is a reminder of the profound significance of this most noteworthy holiday. Veterans Day honors our Veterans for their service and sacrifice during peacetime and during times of war. Their unwavering patriotism and love of country is most befittingly reflected in this year’s theme, “Loyalty,’” said Roach.
“Loyalty, and its companions, courage, commitment, and confidence, are all demonstrated in the various ways that our Veterans have served in their respective disciplines. Notably, our Veterans’ dedication to this great nation extends even beyond their terms of service. Thus, their level of loyalty is both immeasurable and uncompromised. I am often inspired by our Veterans’ strong sense of pride, and I remain humbled during my daily encounters with these courageous former military men and women, while being continuously grateful for their service,” he said, while offering prayers for the safety and protection of those who serve.
“It is our responsibility to show our unwavering commitment to our veterans across the nation and the entire U.S. Virgin Islands veteran community. We also honor organizations like the Office of Veteran’s Affairs, the VA Caribbean Healthcare System, The American Legion, the Methodist Outreach Center, The Wounded Warrior Program, VET Center and the staff at the VA Clinics. I also honor our Gold Star families; they truly know firsthand the meaning of sacrifice and service,” Plaskett said in her statement.
“I think of my father, uncles, cousins, and other loved ones and friends who have served in our military honorably and am grateful for the examples of bravery and fidelity to country they and so many others showed through their service. I express my profound gratitude to all veterans, their families, and the organizations that support them,” she said.
In his bi-weekly column, Langley Shazor speaks to issues important to men within the territory.
We are living in exciting times, with some things obviously being less desirable than others, for change, empowerment, and self-improvement. As mass transition is underway for men, and women, to genuinely become better versions of themselves. This movement is evident in social media, in conversations, and in the overall atmosphere of social interactions. Again, we are all works in progress and this journey will have setbacks, bumps, bruises, losses, and frustrations. The work must continue and the progress we have made cannot be in vain. We may not be where we want to be but thank God we are not where we were.
Men, we have spoken often in this space about the need to take internal inventory; how are you feeling? What needs do you have? What are your desires? Where are the areas for improvement? Have you been burying things that you need to address? What about you? We have been indoctrinated to believe that everything and everyone comes before ourselves. That in this role of being a provider, including us is somehow inappropriate and, in fact, frowned upon. When we speak of breaking generational curses, this one is at the top of the list. This transcends race and culture. As you have heard me say, “just because something is accepted, doesn’t make it appropriate”. The bootstrap mindset has generally been accepted as how men should be, but it has been to our detriment.
I have had several conversations recently in the fitness sphere regarding the importance of listening to your body. I am not exempt from following this model. I am probably one of the worst for “pushing through” when I should be resting. Knowing that I am running on fumes or maybe on empty, I still “show up” and persevere. Let me pause because my empty and your empty are going to be different. My drained and your drained will not be the same capacity. Our bodies are different, with varying degrees of wear and tear, injuries, fitness levels, etc. I point this out because not only can I not tell you when you need to rest (without seeing you), but you have to live with the lack of results if you are using the need to rest as a cop-out from doing the work. The other side of this equation being that if you are pushing when you should be resting, your body is going to give out on you, and typically at the most inopportune time. If you aren’t listening, it will get your attention.
I wanted to frame this topic first in the context of physical activity because all of us can relate to being worn out. We can all relate to being tired, stiff, sore, hurting etc. Especially for us men who want to appear to be tough and manly, we often believe that always doing it when you’re barely able is the correct way to live until the quality of life is cut short or drastically altered. The totality of the application of resting expands beyond the physical. Many of us are on the verge of losing our minds because are not sitting down and talking through issues. We aren’t even acknowledging that the issues exist. We are sweeping things under the rug until we stumble over the very pile we tried to overlook. Many of us are battling depression because we refuse to address our emotions, understand them, and learn ways to regulate them. For those of us who actively practice a faith system, we are misaligned, neglectful in our prayer and meditation, lackadaisical in our study, and wonder why we are under attack.
As we have just briefly outlined, in all aspects of yourself, you are being sat down because you won’t sit down. The road to recovery is long, but you lengthen it by procrastination. Not only in how long you remain in this place of struggling, but also in how long it will take to come out of it. The deeper the pit, the further the climb out. We can no longer afford to overlook how we are feeling, what are stresses are and from where the stem. We cannot pretend our spiritual foundation is firm when we haven’t sat down with our higher power and our internal self to begin the path to realignment. We also cannot neglect where certain emotions reside in our body. Every issue you are facing or refusing to face will ultimately manifest itself physically. During the most recent Grounded session by ElevateWi, we discovered emotional mapping, a visual representation of which emotions effect which areas. I will include the link to an article at the conclusion of this piece. It is all interconnected.
Our whole selves require holistic and wholistic strategies. Only addressing one area will leave us deficient in other places. This will keep us misaligned and unbalanced. This instability will lead to untimely and often catastrophic disruptions within us, our homes, our schedules, and our progress. It is not a matter of if, but when. As we strive to unlock the power and peace within us, let us be reminded that we need to sit down and take time for ourselves, for ourselves. Running yourself ragged is not a badge of honor but a recipe for self-destruction. When you are stretched too thin, you can’t cover anything, least of all, yourself.
Bodily Maps of Emotions Link:
Virtue of the Week – Dignity
Virtue of the Week focuses on building peaceful and caring communities through understanding and fostering the practice of virtues. The Source supports the Virtues Project and will publish one virtue developed by the project each week.
Dignity
Dignity is a sense of worthiness and respect. It comes from remembering who we truly are and our purpose for being. When we are mindful of our own dignity, we hold ourselves with self-esteem, respect and confidence. We move and speak in a graceful manner. We avoid actions that cause us to feel guilt. We recognize the inherent worth of each person’s purpose and rights. We treat all things with respect and honor.
Quote: “For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” -Nelson Mandela
The Practice of Dignity
I know my own worth.
I carry myself with respect.
I avoid actions that create feelings of guilt.
I value people and their rights.
I act honorably.
I understand dignity extends to all things.
Questions for Discussion
About the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands
Since 1990, CFVI has been a catalyst for positive change in the territory through initiatives committed to youth, learning, family support and the environment. With a professional staff and a volunteer Board of Directors composed of community leaders, CFVI is a trusted advocate and supporter of programs that ensure opportunity and sustainability for current and future generations. CFVI is a registered non-profit organization entirely supported by individual donors, grants, trusts, corporate donations and estate planning. For more information, visit 
About Virtues Matter Virtues Matter was started by a passionate wife-husband team of social entrepreneurs seeking to positively uplift as many lives as possible. We aim to inspire and empower, to build capacity, strengthen relationships, and help everyone lead lives of passion and purpose.
Virtues Matter believes in a world where people are committed to kindness and respect, strive to be their best, and live with hope, courage and in unity. We built the Virtues Cards mobile app, an interactive personal and team development tool, to help people identify and develop key virtue skills. We also offer dynamic workshops, online training, and customized programs to help people cultivate these positive qualities of character. To learn more, visit virtuesmatter.com.
To learn more about the Virtues Project, visit 
