Starting my day with a Cause

As most of you know, I am a patriotic sap. I have always cried when I heard or sang "God Bless America" or "This is My Country" or "The Star Spangled Banner", even as a little child. I cry at most patriotic songs (not "This Land is my Land" don't get me started on that communistic song!) or stories. I took our kids to the Veterans Day Parade in downtown Tulsa almost every year. I stand proud when our flag goes by..all 200 or so in the parade. If I wore a hat, I removed it out of respect.

The Tulsa World Newspaper, everyday gives a blurb about our soldiers who have been killed overseas. I read it everyday (till this move to Chicago) and said a prayer for each mother, father, wife, or child who lost their loved one. They died for me.

THEN, my daughter joined the U.S. Navy. It was even worse. I got to feel those uncertainties other moms were feeling. She was always as "safe" as an American soldier can be in these times. But she was in the Indian Ocean on a little island during the tsunami, being belittled by men who didn't know her inner strength, had 2 birthdays pass without us seeing her, and, dang-it, she just wasn't at home. She married a Navy man who just completed 1 year in B'Harain, as shore patrol. (That's an island off Saudi Arabia, a potentially dangerous area)

So, my patriotism grew. And still grows.

At my local scrapbook store, we have a monthly card swap. One of our members has a nephew in Iraq. He works at a prison there and says it is 300 miles to the nearest place to buy cards for him to send home..to his loved ones. So we are joining together to send cards of all kinds to our women & men overseas.

Please, won't you join us? We need thank yous to the soldiers, birthday (adult & children), anniversary, thinking of you, missing you, Halloween, Christmas, Hannakah, all occaisons. With envelopes so they can mail them to the states. You can start one at your local level or send them to my LSS, to be delivered with ours.

But you have to act quickly....holidays are coming up quickly. And things have to mailed well in advance to get them to those that can use them. If everyone can make 10 cards (face it, you have that many extra in your swap stash, don't you?) and box them up to Annette by the next 2 weeks (I think she wants to send them by the 15th) we could have a great package to help show them how we much we care. If you don't make cards, go buy several .99 ones to mail.

Just because our military isn't in the news as much anymore (what a shame...), they are still all over the world. Fighting, guarding, patroling to keep us safe. There were local guard members that just got back from over there on the news last night. To see them hugging their loved ones for the first time in 6 months. One man got to meet and hold his 7 week old baby for the first time yesterday. And then there was the one who will never get to hold his again....

You guessed it...I cried. Physically and spiritually.

Take time to support our military. They are supporting us with their lives.

Please mail cards to : Scrapbook Junction

524 W. Mondamin

Minooka, IL 60447

Or your local chapter of Blue Star Mothers

Keep The Dream Alive