Sunday, March 16, 2008

On Being an Angel

It is Sunday morning and I have been sitting here for some time going through e-mails, laughing at some of the jokes, deleting the 'wmv' that just take too long to load for my patience. Some days I get nothing, the next day it is as if the floodgates opened and I am overwhelmed with 'stuff'. A lot of this stuff makes the rounds, time after time. As soon as I recognize something, delete. If I receive too many to have the patience to read, delete. I know I will see them again and again.

I always check first to see what I received from who, or is it whom? Who/whom cares. I read certain people's e-mails first, especially if I can tell it is not just another joke. Three people who will get my undivided attention first are the three soldiers I have adopted through Soldiers Angels, Capt. Gary in Afghanistan and SGT. Anthony in Iraq. I have yet to hear from my other boy, but that is ok. He knows where to find me if needed. Any e-mail from them is front and center. They are busy people and I know time is precious for them. I might be fortunate enough to hear from them on a regular basis, then it might be weeks between. Those are the hardest times, especially the times I know there has been some unpleasant activity in their area.

Today's e-mail was from SGT. Anthony. I had been concerned with activity a week ago and had e-mailed him to be sure he was ok. His response came through last night while I was at work. He was fine, so to speak, but had lost two of his own in a different attack. I could feel the pain and the anger in his e-mail. One of those 'mom' things, I guess.

I remembered the 15 months my son and one daughter spent in Iraq. I remembered the loss of one of their own and the funeral afterwards. I remembered the other military funerals I have attended since then, either as a member of the community or as a member of the Patriot Guard Riders. The brotherhood of these soldiers is what stands out most in my mind. I have seen them stand stalwart guarding the body of their fallen brethern, I have seen the tears of despair. I will probably never experience the feeling they have as a 'band of brothers', but I experience it through them and I feel their pain every time they lose another commrade. I cry as they do, if they so allow themselves to show that part of their despair.

SGT. Anthony stated in his e-mail this, as he is asked the question many times, as are others I hear from: " WHY DO YOU STAY IN THE ARMY AND KEEP RISKING YOUR LIFE?". His answer, "THE SAME REASON THEY DID, FOR THEIR COUNTRY."

There are some things in this world that are not important enough to spend time on, to worry about. Those things can be easily 'deleted' to free up time for that which is important. My soldiers are who fall into the latter. While I enjoy the baking, sending boxes of goodies and fun stuff to make their lives a little more enjoyable, the important part of being a Soldiers Angel to these men and women who fight so bravely to protect me and the rest of us is in being there for them in a time of need. It is about thinking of them daily, of praying for them and their families. It is the uncertainty of not always knowing if they are alright or not, of waiting impatiently for the next e-mail to know so..or GOD help me not. While they are not blood related, they are still my family.

GOD bless them all and may HE be with them at all times.

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