Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Happy Veteran's Day. I don't know very many Veterans, but I'm grateful to all of them, even if I don't know them. Ever since I started having boys I've been especially emotional when it comes to War heroes and Veterans and all that sort of thing. Probably because I have this weird, doomy kind of feeling that some, if not all (but one--Hunter will never be eligible) of my boys will serve in the military in the not so distant future. And I'd be ever so proud of them if they did. But I'd also be so afraid for them--afraid that they might suffer, afraid that they might never come home. And I think my own fear for my own children causes me to fear for all of the men and women currently fighting for our country. And I have the utmost respect for those who've already served, at one time or another, as well as for those mothers who've sent their children and never seen them again. And I'm also grateful to those families that serve this country by sending their husbands and wives and sacrifice so much on our behalf, daily.
Anyway, because our Veterans are so near and dear to my heart, several months ago I adopted a soldier for our little family to support. I had these great plans for my kids to write him or her letters and help me put together care packages. While that hasn't really happened, I have been keeping in touch with our soldier almost weekly with letters and monthly with care packages. As part of the group where I adopted our soldier I receive daily newsletters from the CT leader of the adoption agency. A few weeks ago, I received an email informing us that a family of a fallen soldier would be holding funeral services in Shelton and that if we wanted to go, we were welcome to attend. Two days later I received another email informing us that there was a high probability that war protestors would be attending the funeral and to be aware. I found this very upsetting. I don't care what your stance is on this war. We all owe these families, these individuals a great big thanks. They've been called to duty and they've gone. None of them deserve such hateful, calloused disapproval. What they do deserve is our support, our letters, our care packages, our appreciation.
Anyway, before I adopted our Soldier I had no idea how simple it really is to support these men and women fighting for our safety and others' freedom. But, it really is simple. A letter to a soldier in Iraq costs the same as sending a letter to your next door neighbor. And if you use a flat rate box for your care packages, it costs about $10 to send a good size package to Iraq, no matter how heavy. And I have yet to be asked for anything extravagant from our soldier. Nope, all he wants is beef jerky, trail mix, razors and cup-o-noodles. And one woman asked for tampons and body wash, promising to share with the other women in her camp. They need so little but it means so much to them. Even just a letter, to know they haven't been forgotten, means the world. So I think y'all should visit Soldier's Angels today and adopt yourself a Veteran, in celebration of Veteran's Day, and do something good for someone else. Involve your kids. And if you don't have time to commit to a letter a week and a package once a month, I know a soldier you could write to, no weekly commitment necessary. And don't forget the families that are sacrificing so much while their family members are away. Sears is sponsoring families of soldiers--go make a donation. And if you need a good starting idea for a care package--now's right about when the Soldiers could use some Christmas cards to send home to their families. Why not send a box or two with some cup-of-noodles and hot chocolate? Our Veterans deserve it and you'll be glad you did it. I promise. And plus, thanks to all who've served our country, Veterans and their families alike. Thanks.
posted by Shana # 6:04 PM 
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