I wish I had a picture!
Yesterday my daughter called me around 11 to tell me she was sick, and needed me to pick her up from school. I drove over and came through the parking lot, as I rounded the corner, there was a van with writing all over the windows.
In big letters, it read,
"Dad's back from Iraq!!!" On another window it said,
"Daddy's home!!!" and on another, "We love you daddy!!! Welcome home!!!"
The sight almost took my breath away. My eyes filled up with tears, and I just sat staring at that van for a moment...trying to imagine what is has been like for these elementary school kids to have been with out dad, for any length of time. And his wife, what about her? I pulled into a parking space, and without thinking twice, I had to find a piece of papaer, the back of envelope, to tell her how much the decorations on her car meant to me. I had to tell her thank you, and to thank her husband. I had so much to say, I can not even remember all the words that poured out of me on to that bit of paper. I did not know these people, we have never met, and yet, I wrote to that Mom as if she were my sister. And I meant every word I said.
I had to get the kids to piano later, fix a meal for guests who were coming to dinner, and finish tidying up the house. At some point while I was out, I got a call from the woman I had left a note for. I had not left my #, but I did sign my name, and we are the only T & C B---- in our city, so it was easy to figure out.
She left a message...to thank ME...for leaving a note on her car!!!
I have called her again, and had to leave a message...I hope we will meet. I hope we will have dinner together. I hope my family can meet her husband and kids, and be able to say thank you in person.
THANK YOU soldiers, where-ever you are, when ever you served, (that includes you Dad, and Grandpa Alverson, and my Uncles Jerry and Steve, and my Great Uncle Harold who was at Pearl Harbor when it was attacked!!!) for all that you left behind, and for all that you faced in defending our country. I simply can not tell you often enough how much it means to me...
Love,
-Cora :)
7 comments:
It's funny...but I get the feeling somehow that an unrequested "thank you" is all any soldier has ever wanted. Maybe a pat on the back and a silent, knowing wink. Something like that, I guess.
What do I know?
Good job leaving the note.
when 9/11 happened, i was called back to active duty less than a month later. i was living in one city and the base was about 2 hrs away. when i came back from afghanistan, the first thing i did was get my motorcycle out and ride back to my home. i just wanted to take a real shower in my own bathroom, and crawl into my own bed. i was wearing my desert uniform and as i was riding home so many people were honking and waving, at stoplights they were leaning out windows and saying "thanks". this was still early on in situation before politics happened and so on and so forth. i've always shied away from the spotlight, but it was really an amazing feeling.
but i think what you did was so much cooler. you're right, there's no way a soldier could go and do without the love and support of family and friends back home. in order to fully focus on the job at hand, he/she has to KNOW that they can "forget" about what's going on at home. that they've left everything in safe, capable hands. there's a mini series "from the earth to the moon" about the apollo astronauts. one of the episodes is about the wives. in one scene the family is packing up to move after all the apollo missions, and the husband comes across hospital bands for the kids. turns out they'd had tonsils removed, etc while he was training for his mission and he'd never known they were hospitalized. and that was the first time he realized how much she took on to support him. thanks for thanking her!
The pleasure was all mine Sean, all mine! Thanks for stopping by!
-Cora :)
my husband isn't home right now..he isn't anywhere near Iraq...neither is he a soldier...but he is in active business duty...for the family...he does this a lot of times...has to..
and i'm going to lie down in bed alone...with his pillow around my arms....
i can't even begin to imagine...how the wives and children of those in the warzone feel...
they are heroes in themselves...
And thank you so much for placing such insightful comments on my bloggy...I relish reading them...
i do have a question though...do you go back to it after you've posted a comment to see if i wrote anything back??...might seem like a silly question..but i'm thinking..should i answer back here or write an email..or post it on her site???..
And ya'...i was impressed by a thorough description you gave on poverty at another bloggy...you certainly knew what you were talking about!
awesome post! :hug:
thanks.
;-)
How cool that this worked out so well!
I saw a man buy dinner for a table of people in uniform once, I was envious of him, I couldn't afford to do that. I just sent them over a pie!
They deserve our support!
Prism,
I do go back and check your blog to see your reply...and thank you for being here. And, on thank you for the support on doc-t's blog...it is never my intention to be offensive, but also never my intention to say anything other than what I think to be true!
I am out of town for the weekend with a girlfriend, and had to come to a public library in Myrtle Beach to check on my blog! Am I sick??? No, I have friends here (on the web) too and I am kind of partial to you guys! :)
Have a great weekend!
-Cora :)
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