I first met Heath in 2011 after I released my open Letter of Concern about Louisiana College (now Louisiana Christian University). He was, and still is, on the Board of Louisiana College. Needless to say, we didn’t always agree when we spoke about the college. But, he was the only member of the board who would talk to me and despite our disagreement he always treated me with respect and concern. It only is because of people like him that I have any hope that Louisiana College will correct its path. He wrote the powerful piece below last summer and I saw it on his Facebook just today. I hope you enjoy the read and appreciate the heart behind it.
The End is Near…for real though
By Heath Veuleman (2013)
It’s been a while since I’ve sat down and had a moment of Dougie-Howser-free-flow-of-conciousness, so let’s have at it. A few years back my best friend said, “Hey, let’s start a business.” So we did. Because he was an entrepreneur and I knew a little about healthcare, we founded the company in the healthcare sector. I still mosey around in the healthcare sector of our company. Day in and day out I’m in hospitals and clinics around Louisiana and Texas. Because we have some larger behavioral health hospitals as clients, I get to interact with organizations who take care of people who are at the most vulnerable points in their lives. And because of my work, certainly not because I have any prize to offer, I’m on a couple of boards here and there. One of the boards represents and entity of a religious, evangelical, denomination. As I often do, often times to no fruitful benefit, I begin to let my mind wander. When I think about the patient’s – the people – I interact with at these clinics and hospitals, and how it compares to some of the my other work – like the boards, I begin to have a heartache.
At the end of the day, when my epitaph is being written, I want people to say one thing about me: that guy Heath was crazy, but all he wanted was for everyone to know that God liked them, not just loved them. When I see people who are sick and vulnerable, these people who are weak and tired, at the end of their rope – my heart compels me to sit beside them and, maybe, not even talk, just to be there.
