Last week our Blue Star Mothers chapter hosted our big Christmas packing event to mail boxes to our deployed troops. It was a special time, getting together and remembering those who are serving so far from home. As military moms we draw strength from each other and from the community that supports us.
And boy oh boy, did we have some amazing support! The supplies had poured into our storage building in the weeks before the scheduled packing so we had plenty to send. We also had guests to help with the workload.
But the biggest blessing of all occurred after the boxes had been sealed shut.
When we went to mail the boxes, our local post master asked us who we were and how we came to be shipping all these packages to our troops. As we shared the details about our kids serving far away, he reached into his packet and pulled out his personal credit card. He used it to pay for a significant portion of our shipping costs for the boxes.
There wasn’t a dry eye in our group. Unless you have a loved one deployed, it’s hard to imagine what it means when total strangers reach out to thank them. The ways of gratitude come in large and small offerings and truthfully, size doesn’t matter. It’s the knowledge that the sacrifice of those so precious to us doesn’t go unnoticed.
So next time you have the opportunity, reach out to the family of a soldier and thank them for me.
