Letters for Soldiers

I noticed a website link on the Knit List digest mail I have only barely been scanning this week (at times, it overwhelms me with its enormity, so I merely scan or even skip it). I don't know what made me notice the link, because it was probably the only thing I did see on that digest. It's a site formed by a soldier and his family to facilitate contacting soldiers who might not usually receive mail. Whatever your misgivings about the war itself, and I'm sure many have them, I'm certain we can all appreciate the idea of being at war (or even abroad, for that matter) far from home with no word from anyone who cares. Depressing, at the very least.

I know there are soldiers who joined the Armed Forces as a way of avoiding the thought of a future without hope in a ghetto or some other dismal situation. Others truly had the desire to protect their country and its way of life. Whatever their original reason for joining up, they now find themselves in a dangerous (and to my mind, terrifying) position. In such a situation, off-duty hours could easily become a time to reflect upon this danger. Yikes! Better to occupy their minds reading or with some other actvitiy (maybe you could unload a few of the used books piled on your kitchen table or a few of those old Cosmos or Vogues you've been meaning through out). So, I've been to this site, and I believe, when I get a moment, I will write a letter and send it with a picture of this lovely area or perhaps a bit of French candy. I find it funny to think I could make someone else's day with such little effort. In fact, I could probably make my own day with the high I get out of doing good deeds for others. Maybe you could do the same.

On the site, they stress that letters are the most essential gift we can give, but there are other items needed, if you feel the desire. I, for one, have shipped a bit of yarn to a fellow knitter, because who can live without a bit of stash? And, just a hint, if you're wondering about cost - it's like sending a letter or package to another part of the US, not a foreign country. So go to the site below. Read around a bit and be touched by another human being's need for companionship and support. I was.

www.anysoldier.com