A True Christmas Story

OK, here is a super-sweet, true christmas story i MUST share ~ If you are currently active in adopting and otherwise supporting our dear deployed heroes out there, it will inspire you to KEEP GOING... if you aren't really sure you can make a difference, this will prove to you that YES YOU CAN!

As y'all know, all during November, i was collecting christmas cards for about three different units in Iraq. Anyway, the end result was we were buried in 2,342 cards altogehter (I got more this weekend unexpectedly..that went to another unit I'd wanted to help). BUT THAT'S NOT THE POINT OF THIS POST!!!! THAT'S ONLY THE BACKGROUND FOR THE REAL SWEET STORY.

Ahem. Anyway, at church today, I was talking to one of my buddies there... a super-sweet guy who was in the Korean War! I told him about our lill christmas card project & how many we'd all gathered....and he was just so happy & proud to hear that!!!! He told me the story of one of his most cherished christmas memories ever. And that is what i have to share with you. Let's see...I won't use his real name, so I shall call him..."Mini-Me!" Oh, no, wait, that's taken [reference to hubby's fave movie...Austin Powers...ick]... I'll nickname him, "Dear Buddy" ~ How's that?

Anyway... Dear Buddy told me that "way back in the 50s" he was there in Korea at Christmas time. He said, "I felt so alone. I was there saying to myself, "God, does anyone even know I'm here? Have they all forgotten me???"

And then.

Then ~ he got ONE SINGLE CHRISTMAS CARD MADE BY A CHILD.

And it saved his whole day... and then some. He said, "Over fifty years later, here i am, still getting all teary-eyed thinking about it!" (He wasn't the only one!!!).

He told me, "Don't ever stop what you are doing. Even if they don't tell you...they appreciate it soooo much!!!"

IT MEANS THAT MUCH, Y'ALL!!! ONE LILL OLE CARD CAN DO SOOOO MUCH!!!! do you see the IMPACT that ONE CARD HAD???? A full FIFTY YEARS (give or take) LATER, DEAR BUDDY STILL REMEMBERED THAT ONE LITTLE CARD...and how VERY MUCH it meant to him!!!!

So, to all of you who sent cards and emails, to those of you who prayed and passed along the info about the christmas card project...THANK YOU again... YOU TRULY HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE (and those aren't MY words...that comes straight from someone who KNOWS first-hand!). So... y'all... do what you can any chance you can, to show our troops we love them and support them.

It means so much.