аЯрЁБс>ўџ ')ўџџџ&џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅСM №Пbjbjт=т= &€W€WџџџџџџlЈЈЈЈЈЈЈМКККК Ц М™ Жоооооооо       $O o T> Јооооо> ЈЈооS о ЈоЈо о   ЈЈ ов @еыЎЬ}ЧМўКш  i 0™  У ўУ  ММЈЈЈЈйHome Sweet Home By Dianne Collier Never underestimate the touching depths of the human spirit or the value of each gesture made. While our community has rallied around to show support for our military members and their families, I wonder if those who have made an effort to show that support whether it be a handshake, a hug, or a kind word or gesture, realize just what a wonderful gift they are giving. When you give from your heart you get it back tenfold and it really and truly is one of God’s greatest gifts to us – the ability to show compassion, to offer support, to acknowledge someone else’s pain. If you give with no thought of what you can receive in return then you will be blessed. Recently, a young lady of 86 years visited a local store to chat with the owner as she did from time to time. As she sat enjoying the conversation, two young uniformed men entered the store. They had come to have their medals mounted prior to their departure to Afghanistan. The lady struck up a conversation with these very young men and shared some stories with them of her days in the military as a nurse during World War II. Suddenly, she got up out of her chair and gave each a hug and kiss on the cheek and wished them well in their journey. A week later she returned to the store and told the owner she had something to give him. In his hand she placed four brass buttons. Embedded on each button was the medical corps insignia and the owner rightly guessed that she had snipped them off her military uniform. Astonished with what she had done, the owner was further touched when she explained that she had taken them to her Roman Catholic priest to have them blessed and then she requested that he send them to four of his friends in Afghanistan. She felt they needed to keep a button in their pocket to offer comfort in a time of need. This wonderful heart-felt story is just one of many acts of unselfish kindness done by strangers. These gestures certainly do tug at your heart and show just how much people really do care. You can’t buy that! As I go about this area and chat with people in the general community as well as many business people, I’ve been overwhelmed by the tremendous compassion people are showing towards our military community. I’ve left more than one store where an employee was teary-eyed and I’ve shared hugs with strangers – there is just this very strong need to convey support – and everyone is doing what they can in their own way. The bottom line to all that I do to support our military families is to show them that they are not alone. That the emotions they experience in this challenging lifestyle are common to the lifestyle. And when you live thousands of miles away from your relatives and your familiar support network, you can certainly feel alone. That’s why the bond military wives have with each other is so strong because we’ll all been there and done that at some point. But what is happening in our community is something to remember, something to appreciate and something to embrace. This community has shown that we are definitely not alone, and if we reach out they will be there. God bless each one of you who has exchanged a handshake, a smile, a hello or who has been able to offer something more tangible in the way of support to our military families. It is very much appreciated and will be remembered for a long time to come. 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