In the spirit of the season....which should really encompass the other 329 other days of the year...Since from Black Friday to Christmas Day we tend to be at our most Generous.....even I have been guilty of being seasonally selfless....which is not something I am extremely proud of...
okay
I am one that every year since I've left the nest gone and picked up the token card off the giving tree at the local Wal-mart or mall....I've dropped a toy off to the Marines who I would have loved to have seen wrapped in a bow underneath my tree....
Every time Juice leaves on a deployment....I get the boxes for his care packages ready....I get a new box of stationary for the weekly letters..(cause email is just so impersonal...and you can't spritz your perfume on the screen)....and my shutterfly account goes into overdrive with the printing of Pooh Pics to send....
But as I've learned...there are thousands of soldiers, seamen, airmen and marines whose families and friends for whatever reason...don't send ANYTHING...no letter, no card, no care package...which really made me upset...especially because I know how much Juice loves to get his weekly mail fix....I could imagine if his bunkmate wasn't receiving anything from home..and here Juice was opening my never ending stream of cards, gifts and letters...
So, during Juices last Deployment....I committed myself...(and pooh)...to be a year long giver....
I by accident found Soldiers Angels...a volunteer Based Non-Profit that has over 20 ways to support a military member or their families.
The program I chose was Adopt-A-Soldier...I have a particular soldier that I have commited to writing to once a week...just a small letter...talking about life here at home...with an 8 month old...and I talk about my husband being away....current events...my latest shopping trip....etc...It's actually a lot like writing to Juice...just without the hubba-hubba....wink wink...
I also commit to sending one care package a month...I put in some good ole american snacks....some basics like toothpaste....or gum....some reading material..though I have no idea if he likes what I send...
They say you may never get a response...and I haven't yet....but that's okay....I can only hope that he is as excited to get the package as Juice is...even if it comes from someone he doesn't know...as long as it shows someone cares about HIM
The thing is...I have committed to taking care of this soldier...until he comes home...however long that is....that may not be for everyone...but I do highly recommend....if not during the holiday season...maybe as a New Years Resolution....or whenever...Just go take a look.... Maybe there will be a program they sponsor that will fit what you are comfortable with...
They all just want be home...especially for the Holidays...and I just want one to know...we don't just think about them on Veterns Day or on The Fourth of July...But Everyday....
My bigger wish??....That a few out in the infinite blogosphere....reading this...will get bitten by the giving bug...sometime in oh mid February...or at the end of May....How bout August....that giving to others, be it children, the homeless, the elderly, poverty in foreign lands...or soldiers far from home...is a year long commitment...that is both humbling and rewarding.....
okay
That was my PSA...We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming...
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14 comments:
awesome!! Visit my page and maybe give Kim, you will see me refer to her in a post, some love! She needs it right now!
What a great post! You have a very important message!
You're awesome, I needed those words of encouragement and you and I are alike in that we care about those who aren't getting those letters and reminders of how special they are. I "adopted" one of the recruits who was going thru basic with my youngest (the one going to Iraq in January) and he started calling me momma and Jordan said he would ask him everyday.."You think we'll get somethin from Momma again today?" I met him at the boot camp graduation at Parris Island and he thanked me for thinking of him when his own family didn't.
Small kindnesses go a long way :)
That is so wonderful. I'm going to check the site out. We have a similar program in my town.
Wow...what an amazing thing to do! My girls would love to adopt a soldier...I'll be checking that out! Thanks.
What a neat idea!! We have an angel tree at our church, specifically for children of the deployed since we're in a military town. I always take two or three children from that. But I'd never thought of adopting a soldier!! LOVE IT!
My husband leaves for Iraq in February, sadly. Thanks for stopping by my blog SITSta! :)
Thanks for stopping by my blog! What a wonderful deeed you are doing! That's one of the reasons I love Christmas so much, is because of the goodwill and kindess it inspires!
Thanks for stooping by my blog. Yhe Bible Experience CD is awesome. I hope that you were able to listen to some of it. It's great.
Thanks for coming to visit me! I will definately look into spreading some love for New Years. It's hard to believe that there are families out there that don't support their soldiers. Thanks for the inspiration!
That was great. I'm glad you stopped by so I could meet you. How do we go about getting an address for one of these guys?
Once you sign up...they will provide you with the name and address of your adoptee....
Nice to meet you.
This is something I am very interested in doing. Thanks for the information.
I still talk to the soldier that I adopted through the soldiers angels. I really love the program and enjoyed sending packages and letters to her. She really appreciated it.
Thanks for commenting me! :)
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