Thursday, July 20, 2006

Thank you to the military

As the mother of a soon-to-be-soldier, I have been watching current international events unfold with a more personal interest than before. My daughter leaves next week for Basic Training and I admit that I have mixed emotions. On one hand, I'm nervous, as I'm sure any mother would be. But on the other hand, I am so proud of her and what she will be doing for her country and for other people around the world. When I start to fear for her safety, I'm reminded of how my mother must have felt when she buried my younger brother who was killed on the streets of Washington DC, or how she must have felt when she got the call that I had been brutally attacked and raped, also on the streets of the Nation's Capital. Or I could remember the sheer terror I felt on 9/11 as I watched events unfold or learned of the devestating losses in the Gulf after Hurricane Katrina.

The reality is that we can choose to live in fear or we can choose to live in faith. No matter how much I want to, there's only so much I can do to protect myself and my loved ones. Life happens. What we can do, what we must do, is remember who is ultimately in control and trust Him to watch over us and keep us and our families safe.

To those who wonder how young people can still VOLUNTEER to serve our country in these trying times, I say that rather than looking down on them, second-guessing their motives or questioning their common sense, try thanking them for their service to our country. Thank them for having the courage to do what so many of us wouldn't and for protecting the freedoms that so many of us take for granted. I can't tell you the reactions I get when I'm walking in the mall or downtown and I see a serviceperson in uniform and I simply smile and say "Thank you for your service." I can tell by their reactions that they don't hear it often enough. That's sad. Such a simple act of gratitude can have such a tremendous impact on a young person. Try it.

For those of you who are in the military or have family members and/or loved ones who are serving, today I found an excellent blog, A Greater Freedom that presents military news and commentary from a Christian perspective. And if you're the mother of a serviceperson, especially a daughter, be sure to read My Daughter Wears Army Boots.

I'd like to set up a special section here of knitting projects to support our men and women in the service. I hope to chose one for the next major SKM project after the Think Pink Challenge. If you know of any existing projects, please let me know.

3 comments:

Nutrageous! said...

Hi, Sydney:

I learned about the need for helmetliners from KnitTalk. This looks like an easy knit but will have to wait its turn in line. If your daughter is deployed, it will of course jump to the front!

see: http://www.geocities.com/helmetliner/
Christine

Mary said...

Here's another knitting charity for our troops: http://www.theshipsproject.com/Home.htm

Anonymous said...

Good Luck and many prayers for your daughter. My 22 year old nephew enlisted back in May. I write to him constantly to tell him how much I love him and how proud I am of him. So many young people are directionless right now and I appreciate his dedication to our country. He wrote recently and said it was nice to get support because they don't get it often from their peers. That's sad. All the best to your daughter and you too!