Good Stuff From Randy Forbes

A few weeks ago, a staff member shared with me a story she had read about a Marine serving our country in the Persian Gulf War years ago. It was the Marine’s first Christmas away from his wife and small daughter, and every day leading up to the holiday grew lonelier and lonelier. The thought of spending Christmas eating turkey in the mess hall of a Navy ship with his buddies just wasn’t the same as being in the comfort of his own home filled with the aroma of his wife’s cooking and being with his family. Just days before Christmas, letters to “Any Solider” were delivered throughout the ship. He usually didn’t take the “Any Soldier” letters, since he was lucky enough to receive regular correspondence from his wife and daughter. However, this time he felt compelled to – in the lonely days before Christmas, it was worth receiving all of the words of encouragement he could get. He opened the letter and began to read the words, obviously scribbled from the hand of a young child. Towards the end of the note he read:
My daddy is a Marine serving over there too. If you see him, tell him hi and that I love him and I miss him. The Marine sat down stunned and quiet as he looked down at the bottom of the note – his own daughter had sent the letter.
For many today, the stress of our current economic situation makes it difficult to think of the Christmas season as joyous. Many individuals are confronting job loss, or facing the realization that their business must downsize because of decreasing revenue. Many individuals and families are being forced to cut back and there are many who are doing much less this year for Christmas. For military families, the sheer difficulty of separation is often felt the hardest during the holidays.
But stories like the Marine receiving an “Any Soldier” note are reminders of the giving and hopeful nature of the season, and that sometimes the smallest acts of encouragement or kindness can provide hope to someone who needs it the most. This Christmas season, I hope you will take time to reflect on the ways you and your family can show gratitude and encouragement to those who are in need – to remember those who are serving our country, to serve those who are sick, and to show gratitude for the freedoms we enjoy as a nation.