In My Own Words

Shawn has worked a lot of overtime lately, and gave me $40 when he got paid. He said I was his favorite charity, because when he gave me money, he knew exactly where it went. I told him he’s been our favorite charity for years, and asked him if he’s as thrilled to be self sufficient now as we are for him to be self sufficient…LOL!

I have a friend on Tea Party Nation, a Vietnam Veteran, who made one donation online via PayPal. Then a few days ago he tried to make another donation, and PayPal was acting squirrelly and wouldn’t let him complete the process, so he contacted me through TPN and asked for my mailing address. Yesterday I received a $10 check in the mail from him and his wife. I’ve made a Thank You card (Y’all know by now that Hallmark ain’t got a thing on me!) thanking Doyle and Sue for helping support our troops, and I’ll be putting it in the mail tomorrow.

Between Shawn & the Pritchards, I was able to make a $50 deposit into the Troop Support checking account today. Then Aubrey sent a check over when Tracey went next door to deliver some mail or something, to cover postage for one large FRB. She said she’s going to try to pay postage for two boxes each month, but the catch is that I’m supposed to remind her. I’m not very good at hounding people; if someone promises to bring something to put in a care package or to donate money to help out then they don’t follow through, I just drop it. I figure, especially with the economy in the state it’s in lately, that maybe something more important came up, like an extra high utility bill or a medical emergency or something, and I don’t want to be pushy if someone wasn’t able to keep a promise because they hit a rough patch. God knows my family has hit enough of those of our own, and I understand if you haven’t got it, you can’t give it. Aubrey says “If I don’t follow through, come over and yell at me – I’m lucky to remember to go home some days.” She’s such a hoot! (And a wonderful person.)

Maddog mentioned that the idea of a “budget” for supporting our Warriors was a wonderful idea, but that in reality it never quite works out for him. He said he’ll go to Sam’s Club to pick up basics like trail mix and beef jerky, and wind up spending his entire budgeted amount, leaving him short on postage. I told him I know exactly where he’s coming from, as I tend to do the same darn thing half the time. I need to put blinders on once I’ve put everything I intended to buy in the cart, or kick myself or something to get my attention. But we meander all up and down the aisles, Jack with the family cart, and me with my Troop cart, and I invariably find something else that says “Oh, pick me! Pick me! Soldiers would love this!” and next thing I know, I’ve only got $30 or $40 left, which will pay postage on three large FRB’s with a little left over ~ and enough “stuff” for six or seven boxes. That’s okay, though, because somehow, at the last minute, God always provides.

I have a couple of other Vietnam Veteran friends who don’t trust PayPal or much of anything else online, who will occasionally send a check in the mail. There seems to be a theme developing here…Vietnam Veterans are some of my biggest fans, and more apt than anyone to chip in. I reckon it’s because they’ve been there and done that, without the love of a grateful nation to get them through the tough times over there, and without the Hero’s Welcome they so rightly deserved when they came home. I tell them that’s not going to happen on my watch to our brave young men and women who are fighting yet another unpopular war.

We need to do everything within our power to help keep morale up and let these Warriors know we appreciate them and keep them in our thoughts and prayers always. I try to do my part; sometimes I feel like it’s not enough, but then I’ll get a letter, or a message on facebook, or an e-mail from one of the Warriors we’ve sent something to, and I know it’s all worthwhile.

So, as I started out to say, before I got rambling on again, thank you Shawn and Aubrey, and special thanks to Doyle and Sue Pritchard. Y’all are my heroes.