In light of this weekend’s release of Your Call is Very Important to Us and its tremendous collection of stories and artwork from veterans of the Global War on Terror, I wanted to take a moment to marvel at how powerful a tool storytelling really is. A story, a piece of art, a single lyric or line of poetry has the ability to set fire to our imaginations, to break our hearts, and to heal our souls. Sometimes all at once.
One of the reasons stories matter is because they can give shape to experiences that are otherwise difficult to explain. That’s what the contributors to Your Call Is Very Important to Us have done through essays, fiction, poetry, and artwork. And it’s what other storytellers have done in a variety of mediums: from books to film to music, and even in the world of anime, such as Violet Evergarden. Although fictional, it’s one of the most compassionate portrayals I’ve seen of someone learning to live after war.
At first glance, it looks like a beautifully animated drama. And it is. The attention to detail is breathtaking, the music is gorgeous, and the characters from least to greatest are endearing. Beneath all that, though, is a deeply compassionate story about a former child soldier learning how to live after the fighting has ended.
Violet struggles with many of the things veterans and trauma survivors often describe: emotional numbness, survivor’s guilt, intrusive memories, difficulty understanding her own emotions, and the challenge of finding purpose in a world that has moved on. The series doesn’t offer easy answers or miraculous cures, either. Healing comes slowly, through relationships, acts of service, grief, forgiveness, and learning that being alive is about more than simply surviving.
While no work of fiction can replace professional care or the support of family and fellow veterans, stories like this serve as a reminder that healing is possible, even if it comes one small step at a time.
If you’re looking for a tale that explores what reintegration into society sometimes looks like, Violet Evergarden is well worth your time. It is among one of my favorite shows ever.
