Day 7: For the Troops

Christmas Cards to Deployed and Wounded Soldiers

I was searching for something to do for the soldiers that could not be with their families this Christmas. As a daughter of a career Army soldier, I have seen the sacrifices that soldiers and their families make first hand. I often forget just how much I appreciate all those sacrifice. I forget just how much those sacrifices shaped who I am today.  I think it is important if (at the very least) at Christmas, we take the time to tell the people in our lives how much they mean to us. I came home last night and searched online for ways to accomplish this. I saw that the Red Cross sponsors a program called Holiday Mail for Heroes. The premise is that people send them cards filled with messages of thanks and they forward them onto deployed troops and injured soldiers in military hospitals. I noticed that all the mail had to be postmarked TODAY to be sorted and reach the troops in time. There was no time to wait and ponder the idea. So I went out and bought a pack of cards and filled each with a personal message. A message just to let them know how appreciated they are and dropped them in the mail while mailing records for work. I may not know the soldiers these letters are going to but part of me feels like I do. I feel like each of those letters was to my father. I just wanted them to know how proud I was of what they do day in and day out. I want them to know that though they can not be home, home is thinking of them always. Jane and Amanda from work wrote cards too!! It feels good to write snail mail. Getting something out of the ol' mailbox is exciting these days. It is like someone took the time to care. Taking time is such can be such a novelty these days. I may try and use this outlet more during this season and maybe beyond. I am going to try very hard to carry my Christmas journey on throughout the year. 

 Here is the address, it is still worth a shot if anyone is interested.

 Though this Christmas card program is over today, if you would like to send a message to the troops you can do it through the USO website. 

I like to see a man proud of the place in which he lives.  I like to see a man live so that his place will be proud of him.  ~Abraham Lincoln