I love this.

I love when something starts out as a small idea and it just catches on like wildfire. This is my feel good post of the weekend.

A huge group of first graders in New Fairfield, Connecticut led by my cousins and their 6 year old son, have written valentines and raised a thousand dollars for supplies like instant coffee and dvd's and cd's and all sorts of other stuff for my brother-in-law in Iraq and all of the Marines of the 1/6. That's about 200 soldiers! It started out as one class writing the Marines valentines, but it turned into a huge project involving the entire first grade. They're also donating soccer balls and uniforms to Iraqi children! And my favorite part is (and isn't this the cutest!), the kids are also sending the soldiers compasses, to help them find their way home. I get teary-eyed just typing that. It's amazing what one small idea will turn into. They already have ideas for St. Patricks Day!

Here's my other favorite story of the day. At Christmastime, my sister bought a couple bottles of "Jarhead Red" wine as Christmas presents for some of our relatives, but on her way home from DC, US Air confiscated and threw them out, and would not allow her to check them. Stinkers! She blogged about it here. But someone from Jarhead Red who actually reads her blog about her husband's deployment, saw the post, and the grower replaced them all! So here's the happy result:

Thanks Jarhead Red! Thanks for putting that smile on my sister's face. It's gestures like these, words and gifts from a child and a community, and a kind hand from a thoughtful company, that help the soldiers and their wives and families stay strong through their deployments. Just remembering that our troops are over there for us, no matter what view you may have on the war itself. The support, the thankfulness and the true loveliness in peoples' hearts is so refreshing to me. I am sure that the "Old Man" is going to be one happy Marine, knowing so many people are thinking about him and his little old lady.